


The Adventures of Isabella Weasley - Year Two - Secrets and Independence

by WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility



Series: The Isabella Weasley Series [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Coming of Age, F/M, Family, Friendship, i own nothing, this is just for fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility/pseuds/WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility
Summary: Year Two at Hogwarts!Isabella is so excited to be back in her element, and this year her younger sister Ginny, will be there too. She's excited to learn and see all her friends. There is a new teacher and secrets to uncover, plus the rest of the castle to explore!
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Isabella Weasley Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758040
Comments: 24
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

~1~

I was giddy with excitement as I packed to go back to Hogwarts.  
“You’re packing already?” Ron asked as he walked into my room.  
“Of course, I hate doing things at the last minute.”  
“But we still have a few days.”  
I shrugged. “I want to get it out of the way now. Considering your forgetfulness you should pack now too.”  
He made a face and then left the room. Ginny entered next, she opened her trunk and began packing. I smiled at her.  
“Which house do you think I’ll be sorted into?” she asked.  
“Hufflepuff, most definitely.”  
“What?” she asked spinning around as the color drained from her face.  
I laughed. “I’m just kidding. You are definitely Gryffindor material.”  
“Are you going to try out for Quidditch?” she asked. “Oh wait, who am I kidding of course you are, its tradition. Every Weasley has played Quidditch. It must be even more fun to go against our brothers.”  
“Yeah…fun.”  
“Do you think Mum and Dad will be lonely with all of us gone?”  
“I have no idea, I hope not.”  
When Ginny gets excited she can’t stop talking. She pestered me with questions for the next three days.

One night I came downstairs for some cookies and caught Fred, George, and Ron sneaking out. Intrigued I followed after them. They piled into the enchanted car.   
“What’s going on?” I asked.  
They jumped.  
“Isabella, go back to bed,” said Ron.  
“No.”  
“We are going to get Harry,” said George.  
“Okay,” I said jumping in the backseat.  
“You’re not coming with us,” said Ron.  
“Why not?”  
“Oh, its fine Ron,” said Fred. “She’s already here.”

The drive took a long time, but it was still fun. Being in the car at night, in the sky, I just looked out the window at the stars that seemed so close. Like I could reach out and touch them. Finally we arrived. We moved in close to Harry’s window.   
“Hi ya Harry,” said Ron with a goofy smile.  
Harry moved over to the window. “Ron,” he said in disbelief. “Fred, George, Isabella. What are you all doing here?”  
“Rescuing you of course,” said Ron. “Now come on, get your trunk.”  
Harry grabbed his stuff and Ron put the end of a chain on the bars that were over his window. George turned the car around and we pulled the bars and window off the house. It was really loud. Then he backed up to the house and opened the trunk. Harry shoved his stuff inside and then George turned back to the house, so Harry could get in the car. Harry handed his owl to Ron. You could hear Harry’s uncle yelling at him from the other side of the door. Hedwig’s cage was handed to me and then Harry jumped. His uncle made it into the room then and grabbed Harry’s ankle. Ron was holding onto Harry so he didn’t fall.  
“Drive!” Ron shouted.  
George turned the car towards home and then took off. Harry’s uncle fell out of the window and we made our escape.   
“By the way Harry, happy birthday,” said Ron.

I woke up just as we were landing at home, the sunshine bright and not a cloud in the sky.  
We all got out of the car quietly and then began sneaking inside. The house was quite.  
Harry looked around the house as my brothers took biscuits from the table. I was still sleepy and wanted to go back to bed.  
“It’s not much,” Ron said with a mouthful. “But its home.”  
“I think its brilliant,” said Harry.  
Suddenly Mum appeared. “Where have you been?”  
Here is comes, I thought.  
“Harry dear, how wonderful to see you,” she said in her loving motherly voice. “Beds empty, no note, car gone!” she shouted at us. “You could have died. You could have been seen.” She turned back to Harry and smiled. “Of course I don’t blame you Harry dear.”  
“They were starving him Mum,” Ron said. “They put bars on his window.”  
“Well you best hope I don’t put bars on your window, Ronald Weasley,” she said pointing her finger at him. “Come on Harry, time for a spot of breakfast. The rest of you get out there and do your chores. You can also degnome the garden.”  
“Aw, Mum,” said George in protest.  
She leveled him with a look and the four of us went outside. I knew I had no one to blame but myself; I left the house in the night. I didn’t leave a note or at least come up with a different plan for where I was…but still. I was hungry and sleepy. Today was a big day. We had to go shopping for our new Hogwarts supplies. I worked in silence while Ron complained.   
Then we all worked together to get the gnomes out of the garden. I made a quick battle plan in the dirt and we all went out there together. Once we came inside, breakfast was ready. I was dirty and sweaty. I needed a shower. We sat at the table as Mum gave Harry first dibs and then we filled our plates.  
Ginny ran in just then in her pajamas and robe. “Um, Mummy, have you seen my jumper?”  
“Yes dear, it was on the cat.”  
Suddenly Ginny realized who was sitting at the table and her eyes went wide.  
“Hello,” said Harry.  
Ginny looked petrified as she took three steps back and then turned and ran away.  
Harry looked confused. “What did I do?”  
“Ginny,” said Ron. “She’s been talking about you all summer. A bit annoying really.”  
“Morning Weasley’s,” Dad said walking inside.  
“Morning Dad,” we said in unison.  
Mum quickly piled food on his plate.  
“What a night. Nine raids. Nine!”  
“Raids?” asked Harry.  
“Dad works in the Ministry of Magic, in the misuse of Muggle artifacts Office. Dad loves Muggles, thinks they’re fascinating.”  
“Well now,” Dad said taking a seat at the head of the table. He looked over to his right and there Harry sat. “And who are you?”  
“Oh, sorry sir, I’m Harry sir. Harry Potter.”  
“Good Lord. Are you really?” he asked with a smile. “Well, Ron had told us all about you, of course. When did he get here?”  
“This morning,” Mum answered. “Your sons minus Percy plus Isabella flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night.”  
Dad looked so proud. “Did you really? How did it go?”  
We all started talking at once. But Mum turned around and smacked Dad’s arm and we stopped.  
“I mean that was very wrong indeed. Very wrong of you. Now Harry, you must know all about Muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?”  
“Oh…um…”  
Just then there was a screech as an owl flew over.  
“Well that will be Errol with the post,” Mum said.  
Errol then flew into the closed window pane rather than the open one. I shook my head and continued to eat.   
“Fetch it, will you, Percy, please?” Mum asked.  
Percy nodded and then stood up and walked over to the window. Errol recovered and stood up on the window seal.  
“Errol,” said Percy.  
“He’s always doing that,” said Ron.  
“Oh look, it’s our Hogwarts letters. They’ve sent us Harry’s as well,” Percy said handing them out to each of us.  
“Dumbledore must know you’re here. Doesn’t miss a trick, that man,” said Dad.  
“This lot won’t come cheap Mum,” said Fred. “The spell books alone are very expensive.”  
“We’ll manage,” said Mum looking at Harry’s letter. “There’s only one place we’re going to get all of this. Diagon Alley.”  
We finished up with breakfast and went to get ready. I took advantage of the shower first. I was in and out and moving onto the next thing.  
“Did you eat anything Ginny?” I asked walking into our room.  
“Yes. But I completely humiliated myself in front of Harry.”  
“It will be okay.”  
I changed and then went downstairs. I wanted to go now. Right now.

Once everyone was ready to go we stood in front of our huge fireplace.   
“Right,” Mum said picking up the large flower pot of Floo powder. “Here we are Harry. You go first dear.”  
“But Harry has never traveled by Floo powder before, Mum,” said Ron.  
“Floo powder?” Harry asked.  
“I’ll demonstrate,” I said walking forward.  
“Alright dear,” Mum said holding out the flower pot to me.  
I walked into the fireplace and then took a handful of Floo powder. “Diagon Alley,” I said and then threw the powder down.  
A moment later I emerged into the busy streets. I took a deep breath in and started looking around for people I knew. In this crowd it was impossible so instead I just focused on hair color. But I couldn’t find him. My family started arriving one by one.  
“Where is Harry?” I asked.  
“He didn’t speak clearly,” said George.  
I followed the others as we went into the bookstore. It was really crowded. You couldn’t move two steps in any direction without bumping into someone. A quick glance around the room told me he wasn’t here either.   
“Isabella!” I turned and saw Hermione walking up to me.  
“Hey!” I said as she didn’t even hesitate hugging me.  
I introduced her to my parents and Ginny.   
“Have you seen Harry anywhere?” Ron asked.  
“No I haven’t.”  
Ron got Hermione caught up and then she decided to go look outside for him. We all had our books, apparently it was crowded today because some author was here signing his books.  
Hermione came back into the store with Harry in tow.  
“Harry!” Mum said. “Thank goodness. We’d hoped you’d only gone one grate too far,” she said trying to pat the soot off of his robe.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart.”  
The author walked out and almost all the women around me started smiling and applauding. I had never even heard of the guy. He had strawberry blonde hair and a dopey smile. He was dressed well but there was just something about him that I didn’t like. But I couldn’t figure out what.   
“Mum fancies him,” Ron said to Harry.  
Mum gave Ron a look and then turned her attention back to Lockhart.  
“Make way there, please. Let me by, madam. Thank you. Excuse me little girl. This is for the Daily Prophet,” said a man with a camera as he made his way through the crowd.   
Lockhart posed and smiled. Then his expression changed as he looked out to us.  
“It can’t be. Harry Potter?”   
“Harry Potter!” the man with the camera exclaimed and instantly dragged him up to stand next to Lockhart.  
Lockhart brought him in close and posed again, the man with the camera took more pictures.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is,” Lockhart began. “When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning, to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me…” The women began applauding again. “Which incidentally is currently celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list, he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving with my entire collected works. Free of charge,” he said so smooth as he handed Harry a stack of books.  
People around me went wild. Who was this guy?  
“Now, ladies?” he asked sitting down getting ready to start signing books.  
“Harry, now you give me those, and I’ll get them signed,” Mum said. “All of you wait outside.”  
Finally, I made my way to the entrance. I got caught between three women and couldn’t get around them and when I looked ahead there he was.   
“I’ll bet you loved that, didn’t you Potter?”   
Because I got delayed I ended up being behind Fred and George. But I could see him just fine. He had shot up like a weed. We had been the same height last year, but now he was taller than me.  
“Famous Harry Potter. Can’t even go into a bookshop without making the front page.”  
“Leave him alone,” Ginny said walking forward.  
Where did this come from? Ginny had been so worried about looking like a fool in front of Harry and now she is acting like his bodyguard.  
“Oh look Potter. You’ve got yourself a girlfriend.”  
I wanted to smile at him but his father walked up. So I had to have the same looks as the rest of my siblings. He did catch my eye though.  
“Now, now Draco, play nicely,” Mr. Malfoy said as he tapped him on the shoulder with his cane and moved him aside. “Mr. Potter. Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last,” he said sticking out his right hand.  
Harry took the outstretched hand but there wasn’t a shake as Lucius pulled Harry over and used his cane to move Harry’s hair. “Forgive me,” he said. “Your scar is legend. As of course is the wizard who gave it to you.”  
“Voldemort killed my parents,” Harry said. “He was nothing more than a murderer.” Harry stepped back away from Lucius.   
“You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish.”  
“Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself,” said Hermione.  
Lucius looked over at Hermione a look of contemplation sweeping over his face. “And you must be, Miss Granger,” he said looking to Draco for conformation.  
Draco nodded.   
“Yes, Draco’s told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren’t they?”  
Hermione had a fixed glare on him and he seemed to lose interest.  
“Let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions…tatty, secondhand book,” he said taking a book out of Ginny’s basket. “You must be the Weasley’s.”  
Dad came over then and I walked around everyone and went outside, no one would notice with the new confrontation about to go on in there. Draco followed me just as I hoped he would. We stood across the street in an alley so we could keep an eye on the bookshop.  
“Sorry I didn’t say anything to you,” he said.  
“No I’m glad you didn’t. That was the whole point right? So, that’s your Dad?”  
“Yeah why?”  
“He’s hot.”  
He gave me a look.  
“What? He is,” I said as I shrugged. “And that gorgeous platinum blonde hair, it just flows for miles.”  
“Well I can introduce you if you’d like.”  
“Maybe someday. Did you get my letter after you said you were grounded?”  
“Yes. The summer program sounded like fun. You got to learn a lot of stuff for this year?”  
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I hope I can do it every year. You should study with me this year and maybe you will be selected too.”  
“No way, you have to be really smart for that.”  
“You are really smart.”  
“Not like you.”  
“We should change that.”  
“You’re not going to give up till I agree are you?”  
I thought for a minute and then smiled. “Nope.”  
“Fine,” he said with a groan. “I will study with you.”  
“Great, I can’t wait.”  
“My offer about the train still stands.”  
“I will see what I can do.”  
“It looks like they are coming out now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“Okay. See you.”  
I watched as he ducked into the crowd and then a few seconds later I went the opposite way.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Hogwarts we go.

~2~

The next morning we were up, bathed, packed, and ready to go. We ate breakfast together and then we piled into the cars heading for the train station. We were running a bit behind.  
“It’s 10:58,” said Dad.  
“The train will be leaving any minute,” said Mum.  
“Fred, George, Percy, you first,” said Dad.  
They ran ahead and disappeared.  
“Isabella, you go next,” Mum said.  
I ran and got onto the platform, put my stuff where I was supposed to and then got on the train. I headed for the car Draco said and sure enough he sat there alone. He smiled when he saw me and I sat down across from him.  
“Cutting it close,” he said.  
“It seems like even when we get head starts we end up behind. So tell me, how did you get grounded?”  
“Well apparently using your House Elves as a living chess set at a fancy party that you were forced to attend is unacceptable.”  
“Why would you do that?”  
“Fancy party that I didn’t want to attend,” he said like it was obvious.  
“That’s…really awful.”  
“What? I thought you would have thought it was funny.”  
“It is. It’s hilarious. But they are living creatures and…think of it this way. What if the roles were reversed and House Elves ruled and we were the elves. Would you like to be forced to be some rich kid’s play thing?” I asked as I arched my right eyebrow.  
He appeared to be pondering but he had a disgusted look on his face. “But that’s not how it is. House Elves serve us.”  
“I understand. But you don’t have to be cruel to them.”  
He didn’t say anything for several minutes.  
“I’m sorry I made you angry. I’ll go.”  
He grabbed my wrist as I tried to walk out. “Don’t.”  
“Are you sure?”  
He nodded and I sat down next to him.  
“I never thought of it like that before.”  
“I didn’t expect you to. Your father has a very black and white view of the world from what I’ve gathered. And I get it, I feel superior to most species. But that doesn’t change that they don’t exist for our entertainment or that they don’t have just as much of a right to be here as the rest of us.”  
“Even the Muggles?”  
I took a deep breath. “Sure.”  
“You don’t sound so sure on that one.”  
“It makes sense; you can’t exclude one group and then find a way to justify it. If I did that then I’m not any better than your father. I’m just as bad.”  
“You could never be like him Isabella.”  
“Maybe not in actions, but in the same state of mind.”  
A lady came to our car then. “Anything off the trolley dears?”  
“Would you like anything?” he asked.  
“Oh, you don’t have to.”  
“I want to.”  
So we each got a few things to snack on.  
“Thank you,” I said.  
“You’re my friend and your face lights up when you have sugar…”  
“What is it?” I asked catching the tone in his voice.  
“I didn’t like the look on your face when I told you how I got grounded. I just…wanted to make you smile again.”  
And I did, right when he said that. “Do you want to hear how I got grounded?”  
“Yes,” he said a little too enthusiastically.  
“Okay so here is what happened…”

We exchanged all the stories we had missed over the summer and then we had arrived. This year instead of going to the castle in the little boats we sat in carriages that had four to six people in them.   
Once inside we went right to our table. I found Avalon and the others. We waited as the new students were sorted. Ginny looked so nervous but she was placed in Gryffindor. I never had any doubts. She smiled at me as she walked over to join our brothers.   
After the feast I went to my room and learned I would be rooming with the same girls again. I smiled and hugged each of them. I asked about their summer, spending a few minutes catching up before digging something out of my trunk and heading for Snape’s office. I knocked and waited.  
“Enter,” he said.  
I opened the door and walked in.  
“And so it begins again,” he said.  
I smiled and sat in the chair across from his desk.  
“How was the rest of your summer?”  
“Long, but I got to see my older brother Charlie. How was yours?”  
“Quiet,” he said with a smile.  
“If you don’t like kids why are you a teacher?”  
He smiled again. “Kids are fine; they are the future after all. I just like quiet and I don’t like incompetence.”  
I placed a small tin on his desk and scooted it over to him.  
“What’s that?”  
“A present.”  
He opened the tin, inside was cookies.  
“I made them,” I said.  
“Did you?”  
“Yes. I like baking when it’s raining and I’m grounded.”  
“Grounded?” he asked picking up one and taking a bite.  
“Hard to imagine?”  
“A bit, you never get caught here.”  
“I usually don’t at home. It’s easy to fade into the background with such a big family. But I have a twin that seems a bit bitter. He’s also a tattletale.”  
Just then the door opened and in walked Mr. Filtch. He handed Snape a newspaper. Snape looked it over and sighed.   
“Do you know where they are?” he asked.  
“Right outside.”  
“Go get them.”  
“What happened?” I asked.  
Snape didn’t answer as he rubbed his temples. Uh oh, I thought. He was mad.  
Filtch returned followed by Harry and Ron.  
“Isabella?” Ron asked. “What are you…?”  
“Quiet,” Filtch said.   
Snape held up the newspaper.  
“You were seen, by no less than seven Muggles.” He slammed the paper down. “Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world. Not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Whomping Willow that’s been on these grounds since before you were born.”  
“Honestly Professor Snape, I think it did more damage to us,” said Ron.  
I shook my head; he never knew when to keep quiet.  
“Silence!” he hissed. He stood up and began walking around his desk. “I assure you that were you in Slytherin and your fate rested with me that the both of you would be on the train home tonight.” He paused letting that sink in. “As it is…”  
“They are not,” said Dumbledore who just entered the room with McGonagall.  
“Headmaster,” Snape said and then he pointed at Ron and Harry. “These boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such…”  
“I am well aware of our bylaws, Severus, having written quite a few of them myself,” he said with a smirk. “However as head of Gryffindor house, it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action.” Then Dumbledore noticed me sitting in the chair. “Hello Miss Weasley, what are you doing here?”  
“Just saying hello to my favorite teacher.”  
Dumbledore and McGonagall smiled.  
“We’ll go and get our stuff then,” said Ron.  
“What are you talking about Mr. Weasley?” asked McGonagall.  
“You’re going to expel us aren’t you?”  
“Not today Mr. Weasley. But I must impress on both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight, and you will both receive detention.”  
Then everyone but Snape and myself left the room.  
Snape sighed and sat down. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”  
“I’m not doing anything wrong,” I said confused.  
“This looks bad,” he said.  
“Only because you never have any students that like you…that came out wrong.”  
“No you’re right. Usually kids flee from me.”  
“You’re tough but I like that.”  
“See, that, right there. You’ve got to stop coming to me.”  
“I’m sorry…I…” he was serious this time and a wave of sadness rushed over me.  
“These are exceptional,” he said picking up another cookie.  
“I’m glad you like them,” I said getting up.  
“Where are you going?”  
“Didn’t you just tell me to leave?”  
“No, I told you to stop coming to me. But then who would you torture?”  
“Am I torturing you?”  
He looked at my face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”  
“Okay, well enjoy those.”  
I walked out of the room, he called me back but I kept going.  
I walked into the Slytherin common room and sat down on a couch. I pulled out my sketch book and pencil set.  
“I have never seen anyone so focused,” Malfoy said as he picked up my stuff and then sat down next to me.  
I didn’t answer.  
“Are you okay?”  
“No.” I didn’t want to talk but I didn’t want to be mean to him either. I quickly wiped away the tears that escaped.  
“What happened?” he asked as his voice softened.  
I grabbed my stuff and stood up. “Snape.”

After sulking for a while I realized I needed to get that tin back from Snape. As I approached I heard voices coming from his office.  
“You are out of line Mr. Malfoy,” Snape said.  
“I don’t know what you did but you hurt her.”  
“What are you going to do to me?”  
“I’m…going to…”  
“Oh, stumped for words? Not going to threaten me with your father?”  
I walked in and they both looked over.   
“Isabella, I…” Snape began.  
I didn’t listen but I grabbed Draco’s hand and pulled him out of the room. “What are you doing?” I asked.  
“He upset you and that doesn’t sit well with me.”  
“He’s a teacher.”  
“I don’t care.”  
We went back to the common room and sat in a corner, away from everyone else.  
“If you get expelled then what?” I asked.  
“I know it was stupid. But you didn’t see the look on your face. I had to say something.”  
“You don’t even know what he said to me.”  
“I know you spend a lot of time with him and you never look like that afterwards. It doesn’t matter if he’s a teacher.”  
“Draco?”  
“Yes?”  
“Thank you.”

We didn’t sneak out that night; it had been a long day. So we went to bed. My roommates were shocked to see me in the room so early and when I said I was going to sleep, they stayed pretty quiet, which was nice of them I noted.   
The next morning I woke up and I felt…awful. But I got a shower and then went down for breakfast. There was hardly anyone there. I could feel Snape looking at me but I wouldn’t meet his gaze. Draco sat across from me.  
“Cereal?” he asked.  
“It’s one of those days. How was your night?”  
“Slow.”  
“I went right to sleep.”  
“You really were tired.”  
“Did you think I was lying?”  
He laughed. “No. So how about tonight?”  
I nodded as the hall became more crowded. “Tonight.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Herbology, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a study group...

~3~

I loved the first day of classes when everything is new and the teachers usually give us an outline of the year. It makes it easier for me when I want to skip ahead. Some teachers however want me to go at the same pace as the others. 

To go into Professor Sprout’s greenhouses, we put light brown robes over our clothes as well as gloves and then we filed into the room. There was thick ivy growing along one wall and out of the ceiling. There were plants everywhere. I stood between Draco and Goyle and waited for Professor Sprout to arrive.   
She walked in. “Good morning everyone,” she said.   
But no one could hear her over their chatter. So she tapped a flower pot with her wand to get everyone’s attention.  
“Good morning, everyone,” she said again.  
“Good morning Professor Sprout,” we said in unison.  
“Welcome to Greenhouse Three, second years,” she said with a smile. “Now gather round, everyone.”  
We stepped up to the flower pots.  
“Today we’re going to re-pot Mandrakes. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?”  
Hermione was the only one to raise her hand.  
“Yes, Miss Granger?”  
“Mandrake, or Mandragora is used to return those who have been Petrified to their original state. It’s also quite dangerous. The Mandrake’s cry is fatal to anyone who hears it.”  
Excellent,” Sprout said. “Ten points to Gryffindor. Now as our Mandrakes are…”  
Draco elbowed me. “Why didn’t you answer?”  
“Give and take. I let Hermione have this and I can easily make the points up with extra credit.”  
“But you knew the answer.”  
“Everyone is here to learn. Now shut up, we’re going to miss something important.”  
He looked annoyed but returned his attention back to the Professor.  
“But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I have given each of you a pair of earmuffs for auditory protection. So could you please put them on right away? Quickly.”  
We reached out and put our earmuffs on.   
“Flaps tight down, and watch me closely. You grasp the Mandrake firmly. You pull it sharply up out of the pot.”  
As she did the plant began squealing. It looked so pitiful.  
“Got it? And now, you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm.”  
As she did this his squealing got louder and more high pitched. That was when Neville fell over backwards.  
Sprout sighed. “Longbottom’s been neglecting his earmuffs.”  
“No ma’am, he’s just fainted,” said Seamus who was standing next to him.  
“Yes, well, just leave him there. Right, on we go. Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrake and pull it up.”  
We all grabbed hold of the Mandrake in front of us and then pulled upwards. Each of them was very unhappy and squealed together. It was a really annoying sound.  
Draco decided his was cute and started petting it, the Mandrake then bit down on his finger and wouldn’t let go. I had to put my Mandrake in its new pot because I was laughing too hard and was going to drop it. 

“Do you ever feel like some classes are pointless?” Draco asked when class was over.  
“Like the teachers just needed help with their personal stuff that day?” I asked.  
“Exactly.”  
“Yes, sometimes.”  
Crabbe and Goyle fell in with us and we were heading for the great hall for lunch.  
“So Isabella, have you decided on the study group?” asked Goyle.  
“You guys do know that if I do that it won’t just be Slytherin’s. People from every house want to study with me.”  
“So, what?” asked Crabbe. “Form the group and we can study in the common room.”  
“I can’t do that. If Neville hadn’t suggested it to begin with the idea wouldn’t even exist.”  
He shook his head. “I don’t know how you ended up in Slytherin.” He walked ahead.   
“He does have a point.”  
“He does?” I asked.  
“If you help the other houses that just gives them a chance at beating us for the House Cup,” said Draco.  
“Winning that is fun and all, but I want to be challenged,” I replied.  
“No, you don’t.”  
“Yes, I do. I can’t learn as much as I can if I don’t put my knowledge up against others.” We arrived and sat down at our table. “Besides, I still haven’t said I would do it.”  
“You better make up your mind,” said Avalon as she sat across from me.  
Suddenly there was a flash and we looked over to see a kid taking Harry’s picture. Draco made a noise and shook his head.   
“What would we have to do to convince you?” asked Avalon.  
“I don’t know. What do you mean?”  
“Well, you could form a study group and whoever wants to study with you just shows up and we study. Or, you could get something out of it.”  
“Like what?”  
“Whatever you want…”  
I looked at Draco and he wiggled his eyebrows.  
I didn’t really want anything…or did I? I knew better than anyone how important information was. Staying in the loop was at times difficult or more of a challenge than I really wanted to bother with.  
“Okay,” I said suddenly. “I’ll do it. My study group will meet on Tuesday’s third period. In order to study with me I want information.”  
“What kind of information?” Avalon asked.  
“Anything you may find interesting or strange, especially if it involves anyone at this school. That is the entry fee and all must bring new information weekly. Spread it around.”  
“Will do,” she said.  
“Information?” Draco asked. “That is what you want?”  
“Yes. That will make more free time for us to do whatever we want at night.”  
“Oh,” he said as it sunk in. “Got it.”  
There was a loud screech as an owl flew in. It was Errol. He flew over the Gryffindor table and then landed in a bowl of food. We really needed to retire him.  
“Look everyone,” said Seamus. “Weasley’s got himself a Howler.”  
People started laughing. Ron looked terrified as he began opening the red envelope and then Mum’s voice burst forth, he dropped the letter and then it came to life and floated in front of his face.  
“Ronald Weasley! How dare you steal that car! I am absolutely disgusted! Your father’s now facing an inquiry at work and it’s entirely your fault! If you put another toe out of line we’ll bring you straight home!” Then the letter turned and faced Ginny. “Oh and Ginny dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud,” said Mum’s voice, her tone was much softer and motherly.  
It turned back to Ron and furrowed its ribbon ‘tongue’ at him and then burst into flames leaving nothing behind.  
It was pretty quiet in the room, but I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer and once I got started fits of giggles rang throughout the Slytherin table.

After lunch we went to Lockhart’s class. I sat down and then Draco sat next to me. Ron walked by giving me a look, I leveled him with my own and fought the urge to trip him. I noticed there was a large painting in the front of the room of Lockhart painting a picture of himself. I had a feeling he was one of those types, obsessed with himself, which was most likely why I didn’t like him. A door opened and he walked out, dressed in gold and white.   
“Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Me,” he said with a smile. “Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third class,” he said as he walked down the steps and stopped to admire the picture of himself. “Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming Smile Award. But I don’t talk about that. I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him,” he said walking around and leaning on the edge of his desk and then he smiled, clearly pleased with himself.   
I looked around and the girls in class were completely eating this stuff up.   
“We are going to start with a quiz, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just about seeing how much you know,” he said walking around and handing us each some papers.   
Finally, I thought, something I could do. Then I got a look at the questions…they were all about him. They had nothing to do with the Dark Arts. I was fuming. Did he think this was a joke?  
‘What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favorite color?’  
I looked around the pictures in the room, looking for a theme. But there wasn’t one so I wrote down Gold.  
There were fifty-four questions on this.  
“Do you know any of these answers?” I whispered to Draco.  
“No. By asking me I assume you don’t know them either?” I shook my head.  
I gave up trying to figure them out and just wrote the same thing on every question. Once we were all done he sat down and looked over our ‘work’.  
“I’m very disappointed, only Miss Granger remembered that my favorite color was lilac. And Miss Weasley, you wrote the same thing for every question.”   
I put my head down on the desk and sighed.  
He stood up. “Now, be warned. It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind” he said tapping something that was hidden under a blanket. It then wiggled.   
“You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them!” he said as he pulled the blanket off and revealed small blue pixies with big black bug eyes in a bird cage.   
“Cornish pixies?” asked Seamus with a laugh.   
“Freshly caught Cornish pixies,” said Lockhart. “Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnegan but pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters. Let’s see what you make of them,” he said opening the door and releasing them into the room. They flew over our heads and people jumped up and hid under their desks, others went right for the door. They started destroying the classroom.  
“Come on now, round them up. They’re just pixies,” said Lockhart.  
Two of them grabbed Neville by each ear and flew him up to the chandelier.  
“Please get me down!” he yelled.   
I was still sitting with my head on the desk, just waiting. One pulled my hair but I didn’t move. I was waiting for the ‘Professor’ to do something.  
He finally decided to wave his wand. “Peskipiksi Pesternomi!” he said.   
But a pixie flew over and took his wand, they caused more destruction as books and papers went flying. The fossilized dragon that was hanging from the ceiling fell down and crashed on the floor and then they threw the wand out the window. Lockhart ran up the stairs towards his office. “I’ll just ask the rest of you to nip the pixies back into their cage,” he said with a smile and then closed the door to his office after he disappeared behind it. I sighed and took out my wand. I held it out in front of me. “Immobulus!”  
The pixies all stopped moving and just floated there.  
“Nice one Isabella,” said Hermione.  
“Thanks. Do you guys have this?”  
“Yeah, we’ll take it from here.”  
I went up to Lockhart’s desk and got my quiz back and then I left the room.  
“Isabella!” said Draco. I glared at him. “What?” he asked stopping in his tracks.  
“You left me in there.”  
“There were pixies coming at me.”  
“You must know how ridiculous that sounds right?”  
“So what happened?”  
“Lockhart ran away. Why is he even here?”  
I was so annoyed as I walked across the castle to get to Potions next.  
I was the first to arrive and I sat down in my usual place.  
“You’re here early.”  
“Take it up with Lockhart,” I said.  
“Isabella…”  
He stopped since other students began walking in. Today we were given an assignment to go out and find the ingredients we would need and tomorrow we were to make this potion. So class didn’t last long at all and when it was over I was asked to stay behind.  
“What happened in Lockhart’s class?”  
I handed him the quiz. “This is a quiz he gave us.”  
He read it over and made a face.  
“I need you to teach me Defense Against the Dark Arts.”  
“I can’t help you with that.”  
“Okay, I’ll just have to learn it on my own. Who knows what horrible things I’ll get into with no one to guide me through?”  
He sighed. “Fine but your workload will double.”  
“I hope so. I will need something to stimulate my mind if I have to have that man as a teacher all year.”  
“Come on,” he said.  
I got up and followed him. We made our way to a long rectangular room with no windows and one way in or out.  
“I can teach you here every day if you want. But I think we should start with twice a week.” He walked over and stood in front of me. “Isabella,” he said quietly. “I am truly sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t bother me, I am happy that you want to learn this much and I’m willing to teach you.”  
I looked at him. “Okay.”  
“Don’t be mad at me. I’m not used to having my words hurt people who care about me. I’m out of practice.”  
I looked at him, his eyes were almost pleading. He really was sorry, though I could tell that by his tone. I nodded. “Okay. So what are we going to learn today?”

By the end of the day the word had spread about my study group. Many people were looking forward to it.  
“Can we do a separate study group for the Slytherin’s?” asked Crabbe.  
“No, you can play nicely with the others or you don’t have to come.”  
“Oh come on Isabella…”  
I sighed. “I’ll think about it…”

“I don’t want to study with Potter, Granger or any other Weasley’s,” said Draco.  
“I’m sure none of them want to study with you either.”  
“We can study in the Slytherin common room on Friday’s,” Draco suggested.  
“What do I get out of this deal?” I asked.  
“Oh ho, look at you. How about me possibly joining you for the summer program?”  
I laughed. “I was going to study separately with you anyway.”  
“Oh. So…what do you want?”  
I thought about it for a few minutes. “I want help with a project.”  
“What kind of project?”  
I stopped walking and turned to the others. “I want to organize a sport.”  
“Okay…”  
“Racing a timed obstacle course.”  
Draco had his thinking face and I stood there waiting.  
“Alright, I’m on board.”  
“Crabbe? Goyle?” They nodded. “Real support, not saying you will help but then never actually do anything.”  
“We will be ready to do whatever jobs you give us,” said Goyle.  
“I will be holding you to that. Slytherin’s meet for the study group on Friday’s in the common room. Only tell other Slytherin’s, okay?”  
Crabbe and Goyle nodded and then left.  
“Are you sure you are going to have enough time for all of this?”  
I laughed. “I have already done pretty much all the work I need to for this year, last year. I just need to brush up and get ready for the end of the year exams. I am basically getting extra credit from everyone and coasting for the rest.”  
“Are you not getting a jump on next year?”  
“None of the Professor’s will give me anything for next year.”  
“That’s ridiculous.”  
“Yep. But anyway, I’ve got time.”


	4. Chapter Four

~4~

That afternoon the first session of the study group met in the library. I arrived first and was busy trying to get a plan worked out. People started arriving and I thought there were only going to be a handful of kids but there were about twenty including, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. As well as others whose names I didn’t know but I would get to know.  
“Alright guys, I think I have a plan worked out. Let’s start with the History of Magic.”  
They all sat around me and we got started.

I could hardly believe the schedule for second years. There was more free time than actual classes. Which gave me plenty of time for other interests.  
Snape and I stood about fifteen paces apart.  
“You have to stop flinching before you cast,” he said. “I can tell when you are about to do it. Think, act, and don’t hesitate. In a real battle there won’t be any time to get ready.”  
I nodded and began again. I cast my spell and he easily blocked it.  
“You’re holding back.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“You won’t hit me. Let me see what you’ve got. Try the one I taught you.”  
I took my stance again, a deep breath in and… “Confringo!” A burst of fire shot from my wand and sailed over to Snape.  
He blocked it.  
“Better. You need to have confidence when you cast. Maybe we should try an inatiment target?”  
Once he set up a target I tried again, my spell hit and burst it into flames.  
“Excellent,” he said with approval. “That’s enough for today.”  
“Aw…”  
He held up his hand. “There is something that you can work on, on your own.”  
“Okay, what is it?”  
“You need to find the Expelliarmus spell book.”  
“Why?”  
“This spell cannot be taught, you have to learn it from the book. The book is in the castle but it’s up to you to find it.”  
I smiled. “You realize what you’ve done, right?”  
“What?”  
“Created a monster.”  
“Just don’t do anything to get yourself expelled.”

I looked around a bit on my own. But I still had classes and friends and everything else.   
Two weeks later I was half asleep in Lockhart’s class when he started talking about how he was going to create a dueling club. I opened my eyes and paid attention. It sounded like the first decent thing he had said yet. 

That night Draco and I wandered around the castle.  
“You know what I’ve been wondering?” I asked.  
“What?”  
“Does Lockhart wear a wig?”  
He thought for a moment. “I have no idea. Why do you ask?”  
“His hair looks exactly the same every day. It’s too perfect.”  
“You think his hair is perfect?”  
“Well it’s not pretty like your father’s hair,” I said raising my eyebrows. “It’s just always exactly the same.”  
“You have got to get over my father’s hair.”  
“Never!”  
“You know, if I grew my hair out it would look just like that.”  
“Maybe you should…”  
We locked eyes.  
“Maybe I will…”  
“I kind of want to change my hair.”  
“Change it how?”  
“I don’t know, I can’t decide. Maybe cut it all off and start over.”  
“Why?”  
“It’s been long for most of my life; it might be a nice change.”  
“I really like it long,” he said reaching out and touching my bangs that hung just below my chin. He cleared his throat and dropped his hand. “We should both grow ours out.”  
“I already have a head start.”  
“Yeah, well, it’s not a race.”  
“Speaking of racing…”  
“Yes, we are all ready to back you with whatever you need.”  
“Based on what I have read I will need signatures for a petition.”  
“How many?”  
“I have no idea. Let’s just see how many we can get and go from there.”  
“If I study with the group on Friday’s do I have to study more?”  
“You don’t have to, but I thought you would like to. Are you going to join the dueling club?”  
“I might.”  
“You better.”  
“Do you want to duel me Isabella?”  
“Absolutely.”  
He took out his wand.  
“Is that a challenge?” I asked taking out my own.  
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”  
I was about to cast when Mrs. Norris walked into the room. My eyes went wide as I closed the space between Draco and me and then dragged him off to a hidden passage. Once we were out of the room he let out a breath.  
“That was too close.”  
“Agreed. Maybe we should head back…”

I created my petition and then went around to the students pitching my idea.   
“Why would we need this club?” asked a boy named Justin. “We already have Quidditch.”  
“This is different from Quidditch,” I explained. “It focuses on how good you are with a broom.”  
“It sounds boring.”  
“So don’t join, but can I have your signature so others can join?”  
“Okay,” he said with a shrug.  
“Thanks,” I said with a smile and then went on my way.  
“Isabella!” called George.  
I walked over to my siblings, Harry, and Hermione.  
“We heard you were doing this,” said Fred.  
“Will you guys sign?” I asked.  
“Sure, why not?” said Ron as he stepped up first.  
I smiled as he, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny signed.  
“It sounds like a lot of fun,” said Ginny.  
“Exactly what I was going for.”  
“Let us know what happens,” said Hermione.  
“I will,” I said as Fred, George, and Percy signed next.  
I pulled Ginny aside. “Hey how is it going?”  
“Good, I have great roommates and I’m having a lot of fun.”  
“That’s great, I’m glad. I have a favor.”  
“Sure.”  
“Fred and George have a bunch of parchment somewhere in their stuff. Do you think you could get it for me?”  
“How do I get into the boy’s dorm?”  
“Get help, try Neville or Seamus. Tell them it’s for me. But don’t let Fred and George know.”  
“I’ll see what I can do.”  
“Thanks.”

I got several other Gryffindor’s to sign, as well as a few Hufflepuff’s and Ravenclaw’s. Avalon walked up to me.  
“I’ve got fifty signatures,” she said.  
“Really?” I asked looking at her paper. “Good job.”  
Later in the common room I gathered everyone’s petitions and counted how many signatures we had.   
“So?” asked Crabbe. “How many?”  
“One hundred and thirteen,” I said.  
“Is that good or bad?” asked Goyle.  
“I won’t know until I talk to Dumbledore.”  
“When are you going to do that?”  
“Tomorrow.”  
I could hear someone mention my idea so I turned and I saw Pansy with her friends sitting around a boy named Marcus Flint, but like most people in Slytherin he just went by his last name. He was loud and obnoxious. He was a sixth year and Captain of the Quidditch team. He was tall with short black hair and dark gray eyes. It wasn’t a shade of gray that was interesting or even noteworthy. He has a tanned complexion and large teeth as well as ears that stuck out quite a bit. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but they seemed to be mimicking me on a broom. I was going to let it go. Ignore it. But I stood up and started across the room. On the way Draco ran into me.  
“What are you…?”  
He grabbed my arm and dragged me back.  
“Come on.”  
“Let me go,” I protested.  
“Time and place,” he whispered as we made it back to where I had been. “They are trying to get a rise out of you. Just leave it.”  
I sighed and went back to my plan.

The next day I stood in front of Dumbledore in his office. “I would like to start a club, like the flying club but we would race timed obstacle courses. We will meet on Saturday’s from two to four. Anyone who wants to come watch, may, and maybe once someone wins each obstacle they could get points for their house. I have gathered one hundred and thirteen signatures from students who are interested in this becoming a reality.” I handed him the petitions.  
“This is quite impressive Miss Weasley.”  
“Thank you sir.”  
“Alright, you will need a Professor to supervise. But once you have that you may go ahead.”  
“Thank you.”  
I was walking through the castle looking for Madam Hooch when Seamus jogged up to me.  
“Ginny sent me, is this what you were looking for?”  
He handed me exactly what I had wanted. “Yes, this is it. Were you seen?”  
“No,” he said shaking his head.  
“Can I give this back to you when I’m done?”  
“Yeah, I can get it back in there.”  
“Great. Thanks.”

Naturally first I went to Madam Hooch. But she turned me down. I went to several others but no one was interested. I didn’t want to ask Snape, but I wasn’t going to let this be the reason this club didn’t happen.   
“All you have to do is show up and monitor what goes on. Plus it may not even work out.”  
“I’ll do it.”  
“Really?”  
“I have my own reasons Miss Weasley. I’ll see you on Saturday.”  
From there I spread the word.

On Saturday it was also Quidditch tryouts. But they were in the morning. Many people were excited. I ate breakfast and then looked for the spell book for a bit. When it was time for the Slytherin’s to try out I ambled over to the stands.  
There were a few other kids there, Draco among them. He walked over when he saw me.   
“Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
“What position do you want?”  
“Um…I don’t know. How about you?”  
“Seeker.”  
“Well we already know you are good with a broom, are you any good at tracking really fast objects?”  
“I think so. You haven’t been around much today and you don’t seem excited to be here," he observed.  
“I don’t want to be here.”  
“I thought all you Weasley’s played Quidditch?”  
“Exactly.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
I sighed. “I don’t know if I really like Quidditch.”  
“What?”  
“I don’t know. It was just kind of decided that I would play, like all my other siblings. There are so many things that were assumed about my time at Hogwarts that I never questioned or even stopped to ask if that’s what I wanted. Not getting into Gryffindor pointed all this out to me.”  
“Well you have had a year to think about it. So…what do you think?”  
“I’d rather be learning honestly.”  
“Then there you go.”  
So I didn’t tryout, but I stayed and sat in the stands. I spent the time reading and pondering over where the spell book was, except when Draco was up and I watched. He made the team.

“Congratulations,” I said.  
“It’s nothing.”  
“It’s not nothing.”  
“Flint only let me join because I said I could get everyone new brooms.”  
“Is that why you wouldn’t let me say anything to him?”  
“A bit, but I also didn’t want you to pick a fight in the common room.”  
“Why wouldn’t he let you join just because you are good at the game?”  
“Probably because I hang out with you.”  
“Oh,” I said looking at the ground.  
“I’m kidding. He doesn’t really like me.”  
“I don’t think he really likes anyone.”   
He shrugged and we made our way to where the club was meeting. Avalon, Sylvia, Piper, and Ginny were there already.  
“Hey guys, thanks for coming.”  
Fifteen other students showed up and finally Professor Snape. We decided to name the club the Flying club with a Twist. Snape supervised as we jumped on our brooms and mapped out a course and then decided on a time to beat. We would start running through the course at the next meeting.  
“This was a great idea Isabella,” said Piper.  
“Thanks,” I said with a smile. “Remember to tell all your friends how awesome it is and maybe more people will come. See you next week!”  
Ginny gave me a hug. “I don’t get to see you too much these days.”  
“I know. But you can come to me you know? Whenever.”  
“I know. I better get going. See you later.”  
She walked off with the other Gryffindor’s. I hoped my brothers were watching out for her.  
“Not a bad turnout,” Snape said.  
“Yeah, better than I expected.”  
“So, next week, same time?”  
“You will still do it?”  
“Sure. How is the search going?”  
“Nothing so far but I’m not giving up.”  
“I didn’t think you would. I better get back, I have work to do.”  
“Okay.”  
He walked towards the castle and Draco came over.  
“What are you supposed to be looking for?”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeking out a spell book, learning more about Draco's home life, friendly dueling, Quidditch practice, choosing your friends.

~5~

That night when Draco and I were sneaking around the castle with a purpose, he was helping me find the spell book.  
“Did you like the club?” I asked.  
“It was more fun than I thought it was going to be.”  
“Thanks for coming.”  
“Well I said I would.”  
“I know.”  
I saw him smile but he didn’t say anything. We walked for a bit, finding new passage ways and rooms.  
“So what’s the deal with the book?” he asked.  
“Apparently you can only learn this spell from the book and finding the book is part of it.” I took out some parchment.   
“What’s that?”   
“This is what we are going to use to find the book.”  
I pointed my wand to the paper. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” A map appeared on the paper.  
“What is it?” Draco asked in wonder.  
“It’s called the Marauder’s map. I snatched it from my brothers. But I should give it back before they realize it’s gone. This supposedly shows all the rooms, hidden rooms, and everyone in the castle.”  
“This is…amazing…”  
“We have already covered this part of the castle with no luck,” I said pointing.  
We walked into another room. I pointed my wand towards the room. “Accio spell book.”  
Nothing happened.  
“I’m beginning to worry that Accio is not going to be helpful in finding the book,” I said.  
“Why not try finding something else with that spell? To see if it will work with anything.”  
“Okay, like what?”  
“Wait here…”  
He left the room for several minutes and I watched a few teachers walking around in different parts of castle and then he returned.   
“Come on,” he said.  
I went into the next room. “What?”  
“Find my ring.”  
“Your ring?”  
“Yeah, you know the silver one I wear.”  
“Okay. Accio ring!” A small object shot over and landed by my feet.  
He picked it up. “It works.”  
“Well that’s good to know.”  
We searched for about an hour without any luck.  
“Maybe we should pick it up tomorrow?”  
“Okay.” I paused. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Sure.”  
“Why do you hate Harry?”  
He was silent for a few moments. “Because I do.”  
“Because your father does?” He didn’t answer. “That’s okay, to have your parent’s opinions. But one day you should ask yourself, why. And if you think or feel differently from them, that’s okay too. My father loves Muggles. I hate them. And that’s okay that we have different views. He however doesn’t know about my views. Maybe one day when I’m grown we can have an adult conversation about why. But until then, he has his views and I have mine.”  
“Why are you telling me all of this?”  
“Because you don’t have anyone else to tell you this. Your parents will most likely want you to have their views forever. You are easier to control that way.”  
“You think I’m being controlled?” he asked defensively.   
“In a way, all parents’ control their kids. Many parents want their kids to be exactly like them.”  
“How do you know all this?”  
“I observe.”  
“You don’t know my father. You don’t know what would happen if I…”  
I stopped walking and turned to him. “What?” He looked away. “Draco, tell me.”  
“I don’t have your family, Isabella. It’s just…different.”  
I was about to say something else when he interrupted me.  
“Can we…drop it for now?”  
“Okay, sure.”

On Wednesday we spent some time in the greenhouse with Professor Sprout and then it was time for Potions, followed by lunch and History of Magic. I wasn’t myself today. I missed two questions in Potions and Snape made me stay after class.  
“Are you sick?”  
“No.”  
“Then what’s wrong?”  
I took in a breath. “Do you know much about Draco’s father?”  
“We went to school together.”   
“But do you know him, now?”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“I can’t tell you.”  
“Why not?”  
“Because I can’t. I was just wondering…is he…a good father?” Snape looked away, and that’s when I knew. A wave of sadness washed over me. “Thanks.”  
I walked out of the room and headed to the great hall for lunch. After History of Magic I sat at my desk writing a letter to my Dad. I couldn’t imagine having the kind of relationship with him that Draco has with his father. It made me unbearably sad and really miss him. Once I was done with the letter I sent it on its way and then I went to go see what the others were doing. I found Fred and George outside.  
“What are you guys doing?” I asked.  
“Just messing around,” said Fred. “What are you doing?”  
“Nothing.”  
I walked away and they didn’t stop me.

I sat with my sketch pad in the Slytherin common room. I had spent an hour studying and thinking of places the spell book might be. Now I was drawing.  
“Where have you been today?” Draco asked sitting down.  
“Here and there. Not anywhere really.”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I thought of some places the spell book might be.”  
“That’s good. Do you want to look for it now?”  
“Sure. Let’s go,” I said as I put my stuff in my bag and then we went to the library.  
“Here?”  
“It’s an obvious place, but who knows?”  
There was hardly anyone here.  
“Accio spell book.” I was thinking the Expelliarmus spell book. I didn’t want anyone else to hear what I was looking for.  
“It’s not here,” he said. “Where else?”  
I pulled him into a secret passage; I hated not being completely honest with him. “Draco…” I began but stopped.  
“Why are you so sad?”  
“I’m sorry, I know you said to drop it but I…”  
“He hits me, okay?”   
“No,” I said shaking my head. “It’s not okay.”  
“There is nothing I can do about it. I have to be exactly who he wants me to be. I have no choice. If he ever found out what I really think…he can’t okay? He can’t know and he can’t know about you.”  
“I’m sorry…”  
He looked away but I could see the tears in his eyes. Seeing him like this made my heart hurt. I didn’t hesitate and pulled him close.  
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said.  
“You told me to drop it.”  
We stayed that way for several minutes.  
“So, where to next?” he asked once he had regained his composure. 

I was tired of looking. Sure the whole thing sounded amazing at first but this castle was…well, a castle. It could literally be anywhere. I went to Snape.  
“There has to be a clue.”  
“Giving up so soon?”  
“No, but…”  
“Expelliarmus is a disarming spell.”  
“Okay.”  
“That Miss Weasley, is the clue. Now, get out.”  
Draco was out in the hall.  
“He said it’s a disarming spell.”  
“So maybe the book is in Lockhart’s room.”  
It hit me suddenly. “You’re a genius! Let’s go.”  
Luckily no one was in the classroom. I tried once more.  
“Accio Expelliarmus Spell book.”  
I don’t know where it came from but Draco caught it before it hit me.  
“I think we found it.”  
“Nice catch,” I said.  
“Well I do play Quidditch,” he said with a shrug.  
We smiled at each other. I was so excited. We read the book and learned the spell together.  
“Alright, I think I got it,” said Draco.  
“Really? Prove it.”  
We stood apart.  
“Expelliarmus!” he said casting his wand.  
My wand was thrown from my hand. I smiled. “Nice.”  
“Thanks.”  
I retrieved my wand and returned the spell; his wand flew out of his hand.  
“Let’s keep going,” he said.  
“Okay, but not here.”  
We dueled through the castle and outside. We were excellent partners. He did manage to hit me once and I flew backwards. He looked terrified, like he had hurt me. I took advantage of the opportunity and knocked him back and then I ran over, he stood up and I tackled him. We rolled down a hill laughing the whole way. Once at the bottom we just laid there, in the grass.   
“That…was fun,” I said out of breath.  
“Yeah.”  
“I think it’s close to dinner time. We should head back,” I said as I stood up and then held out my hand. Draco grabbed my hand and then I pulled him to his feet.   
Once we made it back to the castle McGonagall was there with a stern look on her face.  
“You two,” she said. “Follow me.”  
We ended up in the Headmaster’s office with Snape there as well.  
“Care to explain?” McGonagall asked.  
I was very confused. “No?”  
“Is that a question Miss Weasley?” McGonagall asked.  
“I don’t understand what we’re doing here.”  
“You and Mr. Malfoy had a battle in the school.”  
“No we didn’t,” I said.  
“Then what was that?”  
“We were just…playing,” I said looking at Draco.  
“Dueling,” he said.  
“Playing.” He gave me a look. “Dueling.”  
“In the middle of the school?”  
“Yes,” I said. “We were very focused. No one got hurt did they?”  
“No.”  
“Okay, so…why are we here?”  
Snape had one of those cocky half smiles.   
“Headmaster?” McGonagall asked.  
“If no one was injured and they weren’t fighting,” Snape said. “I see no point in punishing them.”  
“No more dueling all over the castle,” said Dumbledore.  
“Yes sir,” I said with a smile.  
Draco, Snape, and I left.  
“So you found the book,” Snape said.  
“Yes.”  
“And so did you,” he said looking at Draco. “I saw the two of you, dueling. It’s interesting that you are afraid of hurting me, but not him.”  
“I was in the moment.”  
“Clearly. Good job. Ten points to you both.”

The next day I spent time with Avalon, she said she was looking forward to Lockhart’s dueling club.   
“So am I, as long as we learn, you know, real things.”  
“We have been learning real things.”  
“His favorite color and list of accomplishments are not things that are going to get us anywhere in life.”  
“How can you say that?” she asked her voice almost sounding angry.  
“Because the real world doesn’t care.”  
Avalon, like all the other girls seem to be captivated by him and the worthless nonsense that came out of his mouth.   
“I’ve got to go,” I said leaving the room.  
I was heading to the stands to watch the Quidditch practice when the Gryffindor team walked out and stood opposite the Slytherin team. I kept my distance but still got close enough to hear.  
“Where are you going Flint?” asked Oliver, the Captain of the Gryffindor team.  
“Quidditch practice,” Flint answered.   
“I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today,” Oliver responded.  
Hermione and Ron walked over.  
“Easy, Wood, I’ve got a note,” Flint said handing over a small scroll.  
Oliver took it and read the note. “I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker.” Oliver looked back to Flint. “You’ve got a new Seeker. Who?”  
The team parted and Draco stepped forward.  
“Malfoy?” asked Harry.  
“That’s right. And that’s not all that’s new this year,” he said showing off the new brooms.  
“Those are Nimbus 2001’s,” Ron said in surprise. “How did you get those?”  
“A gift from Draco’s father,” Flint said.  
“You see Weasley; unlike some, my father can afford the best.”  
“How can you be friends with this guy?” George asked me in a whisper.  
“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent.”  
Draco walked over to Hermione. “No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood.”  
I was stunned and then Ron took out his wand.  
“You’ll pay for that one Malfoy. Eat slugs!” He cast the spell but it instantly rebounded and Ron was thrown back. The Gryffindor’s rushed over to Ron’s side. I didn’t need to see what happened. I wasn’t a fan of gooey things.   
Levicorpus, I thought and then flicked my wand upwards. Draco was suddenly tossed into the air and upside down. He yelled and everyone turned to look at him and then me.  
I tried my best confused face. “Oopsie daisies,” I said.  
Harry and Hermione drug Ron off. Draco glared at me.  
“Remember when Ron was an ass to Hermione last year?” I asked.  
“Yeah.”  
“And how I broke his nose?”  
“Yeah.”  
I smiled up at him.  
“Get me down!”  
The other Slytherin’s stared at us and Flint moved over to me. Fred and George came back and stood on either side of me.  
“Nice one Isabella,” said Fred.  
“Thanks.”  
The three of us stared at him and eventually Flint backed off, the rest following after him.  
“Are you good here Isabella?” asked Fred.  
“Yeah.”  
“We’ll see you later,” said George.  
They walked off and I sat on the ground.   
“Well…” Draco hissed.  
“Get yourself down.”  
“I am not learning stuff beyond my year. I have no idea what you used on me.”  
I sighed. “Liberacorpus,” I said as I jerked my wand up.  
Draco fell in a heap on the ground.  
“She’s a Mudblood,” he said.  
“No, she’s a witch and that’s all that matters to me.”  
“You said you hate muggles.”  
“I do. But Hermione is a witch. Pure, half, Mudblood, they are all superior to that of a muggle in my opinion. And she’s my friend. You already know what happens to people who pick on my friends.”  
“I don’t see how this friendship is going to work with us,” he said sitting up.  
I stood up and pulled him off the ground. “It’s simple, don’t be an ass.”  
“You don’t understand. If I am nice to these people it can get back to my father. I have to be an ass.”  
“You have to stop saying things like that to me.”  
“It’s the truth.”  
“I’m sorry, but you’ve got to know when you say things like that; it makes it hard on me as well.”  
He looked away. “I’ve got to practice,” he said walking away.  
I sat in the stands and watched all the while I felt this burning sensation in my chest, like an end was coming. How could we keep being friends? But how could we not? As practice went on my worry and confliction grew. I waited by the entrance once practice was over.  
“You stayed?” he asked. I nodded. “Come on,” he said.   
He grabbed a broom from a boy as he walked by and handed it to me. I jumped on and we flew off.  
“These brooms are amazing,” I said.  
“I don’t want to stop being friends with you Isabella.”  
“Me neither. But what are we going to do?”  
We stopped on the astrology platform.  
“Potter bugs me. I don’t know why.”  
“Okay, some people do that. They just rub you the wrong way.”  
“Your family…the one’s I’ve met, I don’t like.”  
“Well that could be because they believe what they have always heard.”  
“And Granger…she’s a know-it-all. That bugs me.”  
“Okay.”  
“But they are kind of your friends too.”  
“Well, really, Harry is Ron’s friend. I would say Hermione and I are friends. You don’t have to like all of my friends and I don’t have to like your friends.”  
“So what are we going to do?”  
“I guess, my other friends will just have to get over it,” I said with a shrug.  
“I’m sorry Isabella. You shouldn’t have to pick. Or you should pick them.”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
I looked into his eyes. “No, I’m not going anywhere.” He nodded. “We could be friends when we’re alone and ignore each other the rest of time.” I hated saying it.   
It shouldn’t have to be like that.  
“You really want to eat with someone else? Or sit with someone else in class?”  
“No Draco, I want to be friends with you always.” I sat down and he sat next to me. “I don’t know what to do.” I sat there, thinking, trying to figure out how this could work. I sighed. “I choose you.”  
“No.”  
“Yes. I will take all the heat.”  
“That’s not what I want.”  
“Well at this point I don’t see any other way.”  
He looked at me. “You deserve so much better than me.”  
“Oh Draco,” I said. “I don’t know your home life, I have no idea what your father tells you, but you are my best friend. I see you, who you really are, and you know me better than anyone. I will fight for you. Will you fight for me?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Okay then. Race me back?”  
“You’re on.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chamber has been opened, McGonagall tells them about the Chamber, Harry let's Isabella know how he really feels about her.

~6~

That evening everyone was on their way back from dinner and we stopped in the hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there. Mrs. Norris was hanging in an odd position and there was something written on the wall in what looked like blood.  
‘The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.’   
“’Enemies of the heir beware’,” Draco said reading a bit from the wall. “You’ll be next Mudbloods,” he said looking over at the others.  
I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow.  
“Ow,” he said looking at me.  
“Do you know how many pure blood families are left?” I asked.  
“No.”  
“Obviously, cause if you did you wouldn’t go around telling everyone that you were and so proud be one.”  
“And why not?” he asked.  
“Because at this point all it means is inbred.”  
A silence fell over the others and I saw several Gryffindor’s snicker.  
“What’s going on here?” Flitch asked as he was pushing his way through the crowd. “Go on. Make way, make way.” He saw Harry standing there. “Potter? What are you…” Then he noticed Mrs. Norris and his face went white. “Mrs. Norris…? You’ve murdered my cat…”  
“No,” Harry said quietly.  
“I’ll kill you,” he said and then he grabbed Harry by his collar. “I’ll kill ya!”  
“Argus!” said Dumbledore suddenly making his way over, along with several other teachers.  
We parted and let them by.  
“Argus I…” Then he saw the writing on the wall. “Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately. Everyone except, you three,” he said pointing to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
People began making their way to their rooms. I grabbed Draco and we slinked off and then doubled back.  
“Do you really think pure blood families are inbred?”  
“Not the time Draco,” I whispered.  
By the time we made it back I couldn’t tell what was going on but Harry was defending himself saying he never touched Mrs. Norris.  
“Rubbish,” said Flitch.  
“If I might, Headmaster?” began Snape. “Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. However…the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don’t recall seeing Potter at dinner.”  
“I’m afraid that’s my doing Severus,” said Lockhart. “You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail.”  
“That’s why Ron and I went looking for him Professor. We’d just found him when he said…”  
“Yes, Miss Granger?”  
“When I said I wasn’t hungry,” Harry finished. “We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris.”  
“Innocent until proven guilty, Severus,” said Dumbledore.  
“My cat, has been Petrified,” said Filtch. “I want to see some punishment!”  
“We will be able to cure her, Argus,” said Dumbledore. “As I understand, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrake. When matured a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime I strongly recommend caution…to all.”  
Draco and I scurried away.

The next day we sat in Transfiguration class. Each of us had a small animal sitting in front of us. Or in my case, I was holding my lizard and tickling its tummy.  
“Can I have your attention please?” said McGonagall as she was ready to begin the lesson. “Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets. Like so. One, two three,” she said tapping her wand next to a bird. “Vera Verto.”  
Then the bird transformed into a clear and gold goblet.  
“Now it’s your turn. Who would like to go first?” she asked walking over to the desks. “Ah, Mr. Weasley. One, two three. Vera Verto,” she instructed.  
Ron nodded and then cleared his throat. He tried the spell on his stupid rat and because his wand was broken and held together with tape the rat changed but the cup was short and fuzzy and had a tail. Many kids, myself included, laughed.  
“That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley.” She walked up to my desk next. “Miss Weasley? How about you next? Where is your animal?”  
I smiled and took the lizard off my shoulder, sitting it back in front of me. I took out my wand and did just what McGonagall had. The lizard changed and a water goblet sat in front of me.  
“Excellent, who else?”  
Hermione raised her hand.  
“Yes Miss Granger?”  
“Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets.”  
She looked at all of us for a few moments before answering. “Very well. You all know, of course that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest Witches and Wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not.”  
“Three guesses who,” said Ron.  
“Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, pure bloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to the school. Now according to legend Slytherin built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though shortly before departing he sealed it until that time when his own true Heir returned to the school. The Heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing purge the school of all those who in Slytherin’s view, were unworthy to study magic.”  
“Muggle-borns,” said Hermione.  
McGonagall nodded. “Well naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found.”  
“Professor?” asked Hermione. “What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?”  
“The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said, to be the home, of a monster.”  
Ron turned around to look at Draco; he never even flinched but kept a steady gaze on Ron.

After class I gave the lizard a kiss and gathered up my things.  
“You’re so weird,” said Draco.  
“Why? Because I like kissing cute animals?”  
“Yes.”  
I shrugged. We fell in with Crabbe, Goyle, and Avalon as we walked out of the room.  
We walked quickly through the hall and passed Harry and the others.  
“Do you know who has opened the Chamber?” asked Avalon.  
“How would I know?” I asked.  
“You know just about everything that goes on,” she said like it was obvious.  
“Well I don’t know this. I haven’t even heard anything about it.”  
I put my stuff in my room and grabbed my bag then went to find Draco.  
“Do you know anything?” he asked.  
“No. Do you?”  
“Nothing.”  
“I think we should go out later.”  
“What about that map? Wouldn’t the Chamber be on there?”  
“It should be, but it isn’t.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“The people who made the map didn’t know about the Chamber?”

“I used that spell you taught me,” I said as I walked into Snape’s office.  
“The nonverbal one?”  
“Yes.”  
“Really? How did it go?”  
“Perfect.”  
“Interesting. Who did you use it on?”  
“Draco.”  
“Why?”  
“Well I wanted to hit him but I didn’t want it to be obvious. So with my mind and a flick of my wand I basically got the desired effect.”  
“Did you know nonverbal spells are not taught until the sixth year?”  
“No I did not.”  
“I have great hopes for you Isabella and the Witch you will become.”  
“Thank you sir,” I said with a smile.

I was sitting on the ground against a tree studying when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to me.  
“Hey Isabella,” Hermione said. “What are you up to?”  
“Just studying,” I said as I put my stuff in my bag. “What’s up?”  
“We need a favor.”  
“A favor huh? What kind of favor.”  
“We need a few ingredients and we think Snape might have them.”  
“So…you want me to, steal them?”  
“Yes.”  
“Sorry, I can’t help you.”  
“Why not?” Ron asked annoyed.  
I stood up. “Because he’s my favorite teacher.”  
“How can you say that?” he asked.  
“Like this,” I said and then I said it again but slower this time so he could keep up. “Why are you making a polyjuice potion anyway?”  
“How do you know what we’re making?”  
“You can play dumb or you can tell me,” I said.  
The three of them stood there silent.   
“We need to find out if Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin,” said Hermione.  
I laughed. “I’m sorry,” I said. “No, he’s not and he doesn’t know who is.”  
They considered this. “I’m sorry Isabella, but you’re a Slytherin, and I don’t trust you,” said Harry.  
I looked at the ground, feeling tears rush to my eyes. I hated it when no one believed me when I was telling the truth. I looked back up. “Then don’t come to me for help.”  
As I left I could hear Hermione sticking up for me.  
I headed to the stands; the Slytherin team had practice today. I sat in the stands and watched, still annoyed about what Harry had said.  
After practice was over Draco came over. He held two brooms.  
“Here, this is for you.”  
I looked at the shiny black Nimbus 2001. “How?”  
“I told my father that someone on the team broke theirs and he sent another.”  
“You lied?”  
“I wanted you to have one.”  
“You lied,” I said with a smile.  
“Why are you sulking?”  
“Nothing, it’s not a big deal.”  
“Is this backlash from being friends with me?”  
“No, this is because I’m a Slytherin and Snape is my favorite teacher.”  
“What?”  
“Harry…said something.”  
“Potter,” he said annoyed. “What did he say?”  
“He doesn’t trust me.”  
“That shouldn’t bother you. Being a Slytherin has its perks and downsides. Not everyone is going to like you.”  
“Being liked isn’t my problem.”  
“Then what?”  
“It’s being treated as if I’m…bad.”  
“You could use it to your advantage. If they think your bad, treat them as such. Let them fear you.”  
“I don’t think that would make me feel any better.”  
“I think I’ve said this before, but it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.”  
“I know. I just…don’t like it.”  
“You know the game that’s coming up?”  
“Yeah.”  
“My father is coming to watch.”  
“He is? Is that good?”  
“It’s…nice.”  
I laughed. “Are you sure about that?”

After zooming around the grounds with Draco I went to Snape’s office.  
“Can I keep this in here?”  
“Is it yours?”  
“Yes.”  
“Why not keep it with you?”  
“I have my reasons.”  
“Very well.”  
“Ready to work?”  
“Yes, let’s get to it.”

***********************

“How are you doing in all your other classes?” Snape asked.  
“The only problem I’m really having is Lockhart’s class and that’s because he’s a bad teacher. Someone needs to tell him that this isn’t a class about him.”  
“I’ve noticed several Slytherin’s scores improving. Is that your influence?”  
“I’m actually doing two study groups this year, one for Slytherin’s and one for everyone else.”  
“I see.”  
“Are you going to be doing the summer program again this year?”  
“Yes, but I have changed it to the two weeks after school rather than in the middle of the summer. So if you are selected, you will just stay here at the end of the year for the program.”  
“Okay, that is actually a much better setup.”  
“I’m glad you think so,” he said. “We’re done for the day.”  
“Oh. Alright. See you later.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quidditch Game, Isabella hears a strange noise and goes out searching for it, she overhears a conversation between Harry and Dobby, and later she hears the teachers talking about the Chamber of Secrets.

~7~

About three weeks later was the Quidditch game. It was getting cold and it happened to be raining today. But Draco was playing so, I was going to go. We had pretty much stayed away from each other today. I didn’t want to bother him as he got ready and his father arrived and I didn’t want to get in his way.  
It was kind of hard to see the game with the rain and because the cloud cover made it dark but I was just about able to keep up. Draco had spent time during study breaks to teach me the rules and how to play. It was making more sense now but it was still pretty boring in my opinion.   
Right now Slytherin was winning, so said the Gryffindor announcer.   
One of the attack balls hit Oliver’s broom and then went after Harry. Now things were getting interesting. The ball chased Harry all over and then Harry saw the Snitch, I think, since he suddenly flew into action and that’s the only thing he does in this game. Draco turned and flew after Harry. He got up next to Harry and elbowed him and then got in front. I lost sight of them. They popped up for a minute and then dipped from view. The attack ball was back, breaking beams as it went. That could not be good for the stadium. Suddenly Draco sprang up and his broom went one direction and he went another, tumbling head over heels across the field and landing in a complete splits. That didn’t look good, and then he just laid there. The teachers were concerned as many of them stood up to get a better view.  
Harry was still chasing the Snitch and the attack ball hit his outstretched hand, knocking off his protective armguard. It must have hurt because he pulled his hand up close to his body and used the other to reach for the Snitch. He grabbed for it and then fell from his broom. The announcer spoke up and said he had in fact, caught the snitch.

I kept an eye on Mr. Malfoy to see if he would go see Draco in the hospital. But he left so, I went to go see him. He was lying on a bed, moaning in pain. I tried to keep a straight face, but…  
Harry was brought in, he apparently had a broken arm and Lockhart had tried to fix it and now all the bones in his arm were gone. Madam Pomfrey rushed in.  
“Mr. Malfoy, stop making such a fuss. You can go, she said as she walked by. “Out of my way.”  
There were several kids standing by Harry’s bed as well as what appeared to be the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team.   
I started laughing.  
“Isabella,” hissed Goyle.  
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Come on Draco, I’ll help you.”  
He leaned up, winced, and I died laughing. I noticed my siblings were looking over. I cleared my throat to try to get the laughing to stop.   
“Goyle, come over here and get on his other side,” I said slinging Draco’s arm over my shoulders.  
Just then Harry spewed the Skeletal Grow all over his bed. That sent me into another fit.   
“I can’t believe you’re laughing,” Draco said.  
“If you could see your face, you would be laughing too.”  
We walked slowly out of the hospital wing and across the castle back to the Slytherin common room. We helped him over to a couch.  
He took off his Quidditch gear and tossed it to Goyle who took it to the boy’s dorm. I sat down.  
“Are you okay?”  
“You ask that now?”  
“Yes.”  
“You call yourself my friend.”  
“I am your friend and friends laugh at their friends.”  
“Even when they are in pain?”  
“Sometimes.”  
“I’ll remember that for later when you get hurt.”  
“Okay.”  
He sighed. “Of course this happened when my father was watching.”  
“It’s not like you did it on purpose.”  
“He won’t care about that. Did you see where he went?”  
“I think he left.”  
He looked away.  
“This is exactly why I didn’t want you on the team,” Flint said walking over as he yelled.  
I flinched.   
“Because I might crash?” Draco asked.  
“Because you will cost us the game.”  
I rolled my eyes and sighed. I was about to say something but Draco put his hand on my leg, I looked at him.  
“I don’t have to be on the team, I’ll just take back those new brooms then and this can all be over,” he said.  
“One more chance Malfoy,” he said pointing at him and then he walked off in a huff.  
Draco looked at me. “Never underestimate the power of the upper hand.”

I snuck out on my own that night. I had actually already been in bed but something woke me up and then I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I walked around aimlessly and then I heard…something that sounded like it was moving in the walls.  
“Kill…kill…”  
What was that? I followed it for a bit and then I ended up in the hospital wing. Harry was the only one in there and he was asleep, so he hadn’t been talking.  
“Kill…kill…time to kill…”  
Harry woke up suddenly and I darted behind a curtain.  
“Hello,” said a cheerful voice.  
I peeked out and saw a house elf standing by Harry’s bed.  
“Dobby?” Harry asked.  
“Harry Potter should have listened to Dobby,” he said sitting on Harry’s bed. “Harry Potter should have gone back home when he missed the train.”  
“It was you,” Harry said. “You stopped the barrier from letting Ron and me through.”  
“Indeed. Yes, sir,” Dobby said sounding sad.   
“You nearly got Ron and me expelled.”  
“At least you would be away from here,” Dobby said. “Harry Potter must go home. Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make Harry Potter see…”  
“Your Bludger? You made that Bludger chase after me?”  
“Dobby feels most aggrieved, sir. Dobby had to iron his hands.”  
“You better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you.”  
Dobby jumped off the bed and fell on the floor. Then he quickly got up and backed up. “Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home.”  
Harry got out of bed and walked closer to Dobby.  
“I don’t suppose you could tell me why you’re trying to kill me?”  
“Not kill you, sir. Never kill you. Dobby remembers how it was before Harry Potter triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir,” Dobby said backing up around the bed as Harry inched closer. “Of course Dobby is still treated like vermin.”  
He got very upset and started crying. He blew his nose on his sad little sack that served as his clothes.  
“Why do you wear that thing, Dobby?”   
“This, sir? It is a mark of the house-elf’s enslavement. Dobby can only be freed if his master presents him with clothes.”  
Suddenly there was a noise coming this way. Dobby jumped up on the bed. “Listen. Listen!” he whispered.  
“Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts. Harry Potter must not stay here now that history is to repeat itself.”  
“Repeat itself? You mean, this had happened before?”  
Dobby made a noise and covered his mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that.” He grabbed the bottle of Skeletal Grow by Harry’s bed and started hitting himself in the head. “Bad! Bad Dobby!” he said.  
“Dobby, stop it,” Harry said as he tried to wrestle the bottle away from him.  
Harry grabbed Dobby buy his clothes. “Tell me. When did this happen before? Who’s doing it now?”  
“Dobby cannot say, sir. Dobby only wants Harry Potter to be safe.” Dobby said patting Harry’s hand.  
“No, Dobby. Tell me. Who is it?”  
Dobby snapped his fingers and then he disappeared. Someone was coming into the room. I ducked down and it sounded like Harry got back into bed.  
Pomfrey, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and two older men walked in, all of them in their pajamas. The older men carried a stretcher with a student Petrified on it.  
“What happened?”  
“There has been another attack.”  
“I think he’s been Petrified.”  
“What can this mean Albus?”  
It means, that our students are in great danger.”  
“What should I tell the staff?”  
“The truth. Tell them Hogwarts is no longer safe. It is as we’ve feared Minerva. The Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again.”  
Once they left I quickly made my way back to my room.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monster hunting Hogwarts style, dueling club, Isabella reveals a secret!

~8~

“You went out? Without me?”  
“I wasn’t going to. I had been asleep in my bed and something woke me up,” I replied.  
“What was it?”  
“I have no idea…I think it might have been…the monster.”  
“What monster?” Draco asked.  
“The one from the Chamber of Secrets.”  
“I think I missed something.”  
“McGonagall said the Chamber had a monster that only the Heir of Slytherin can control.”  
“Okay. So what is it?”  
“Think Draco, what is Slytherin known for?”  
“Snakes.”  
“Exactly.”  
“Hang on…you said you heard the monster.”  
“Yes.”  
“You speak Parseltongue?”  
“Please don’t tell anyone.”  
“More and more pieces to this puzzle are coming together,” he said with a smile.  
“What puzzle?”  
“The Isabella Weasley puzzle.”  
We walked into the Great Hall where the first meeting of the Dueling Club was taking place. Draco and I stood with Crabbe, Goyle, Avalon, Piper, and Sylvia. There were many students crowding into the room.   
“Gather round,” said Lockhart in a booming voice as he walked up on the raised platform. “Gather round,” he said again as he made his way to the center of the platform. “Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?” He walked all the way to the other end and then turned back. “In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club. To train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves,”  
I sighed and rolled my eyes, that was exactly what he was supposed to be doing in class…   
“As I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details see my published works.”  
He untied his cape and threw it into the crowd. A group of girls then proceeded to fight over it. I didn’t think this was going to work out. I was just about to leave.  
“Let me introduce my assistant…Professor Snape.”  
Snape walked by us and with his arms folded, as well as an expression that showed he didn’t want to be there either, walked up onto the platform.  
“He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration. Now I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry. You’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him. Never fear.”  
They walked up to each other with their wands out. They brought their wands up at the same time to their face, down at their side, and then bowed to each other. Then they turned around and walked to opposite ends of the platform, facing each other again, in the fighting stance.  
“One. Two,” Lockhart was counting. “Three!”  
“Expelliarmus!” Snape said instantly and then cast his wand. The shockwave threw Lockhart and he landed on his back.  
I nodded and smiled, oh how I had wanted to do that myself. He laid there for a moment and then got up.  
“An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do.” He was so full of it. “And if I had wanted to stop you it would have only been too easy.”  
“Perhaps it would be prudent, to first, teach the students to block, unfriendly spells, Professor,” Snape said and then he smiled.   
“An excellent suggestion Professor Snape,” he said turning around. “Let’s have a volunteer pair.”  
Several kids were put against each other; none of them were good at much of anything.   
“Miss Weasley, Miss Granger,” Lockhart said.  
I walked up to the platform and met Hermione in the center. We put our wands up, down, bow and part.   
“Go!” said Lockhart.  
I waited there in my stance.   
“Petrificus Totalus,” Hermione said and cast.  
But I was quicker. I blocked and then hit her with, “Expelliarmus.”  
She was knocked back but didn’t fall.   
“Nicely done,” said Lockhart. “Potter, Malfoy, how about you?”  
I walked back and Draco stuck out his hand. We did a sideways high five as I walked by and then I joined the others back on the floor.  
“Why did you hesitate?” Snape asked quietly.  
“I wanted to see what she could do.”  
“Wands at the ready,” Lockhart said.  
They brought them up to their faces.  
“Scared Potter?” Draco asked.  
“You wish,” Harry replied.  
They brought their wands down, turned, and walked to opposite ends.  
“Oh the count of three,” Lockhart said. “Cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don’t want any accidents here. One. Two.”  
“Everte Statum,” said Draco.  
His spell hit Harry and caused him to flip over backwards several times before landing at Lockhart’s feet. Harry got up and yelled something out though I didn’t catch it. A bolt hit Draco and sent him spinning across the platform, landing in front of Snape, who picked him up by his collar and made him go back out there.  
“I said disarm only,” said Lockhart.  
“Serpensortia!” Draco said and cast his wand.   
A black cobra appeared, its cute little tongue coming out of its mouth and then it hissed and slithered forward. Harry just looked at the snake.  
“Don’t move, Potter. I’ll get rid of it for you,” Snape said as he began to walk over.  
“Allow me, Professor Snape,” said Lockhart. “Alarte Ascendare!”  
The snake shot up into the air and then came right back down but now it was angry. Suddenly Harry began speaking to the snake. I recognized the language since I’ve been speaking and hearing it for as long as I can remember. The snake was angry and Harry was telling it to leave the kids alone, not to harm anyone. The snake looked at him and everyone in the room froze.   
“Vipera Evanesca,” Snape said.  
The snake was hit, it burst into embers and then it was gone. I looked at Snape and he looked worried. After that people started leaving, Harry fled the room first.  
I followed after Snape until he turned around.  
“Why are you following me?”  
“Why are you worried?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“I can see it in your eyes. That is worry. Now tell me why.” He didn’t say anything. “Come with me,” I said and then I walked ahead. I went outside and stopped by the woods.  
“What are we doing?”  
“Just a little further,” I said.  
We walked just a few feet into the woods.  
“I can talk to snakes too.”  
His expression darkened. “Prove it.”  
I leaned down to the ground and tried calling a snake over to me. In just a few minutes fifteen slithered up.  
“How long have you been able to do it?”  
“Always.”  
“Isabella…did you open the Chamber?”  
“No sir. I don’t even know where it is.”  
“Just leave it alone for now.”  
“Why won’t you tell me?”  
“Despite what you may think, I am your teacher, not your friend and I don’t have to tell you anything.”  
I looked at the ground and started walking away. But Snape grabbed my robe; he turned me to face him.  
“Things are happening that are so far over your head.”  
“By keeping me in the dark you are making things worse.”  
“I’m trying to protect you.”  
“I don’t need protecting. I need someone to teach me how to defend myself.”  
“I have been. I can’t teach you everything right now. Teaching requires time.”  
“Okay. I understand. I just…want to be ready. For anything.”  
He sighed and I stood there awkwardly.  
“This is a list of ingredients that I need you to collect,” he said holding a piece if parchment out to me.  
I took the paper and looked up into his eyes. “You can deny that we are friends…but this proves otherwise.”  
“Or it proves I said I would teach you and I am. Any questions?”  
“No. I will gather these in no time.”

Snape and I walked back to the castle. He left me by the entrance and he went on somewhere else with the plants I had gathered. He said we would finish later. I had nothing to do and it was still a while before dinner. So I decided to take the long way back to the common room. Down a long corridor is where I found Harry and Justin who appeared to be Petrified. Before I walked closer Flitch came around a corner and I froze, hidden behind a pillar.   
“Caught in the act,” Flitch said.  
Harry turned around to face him.  
“I’ll have you out this time, Potter. Mark my words.”  
“No! Mr. Flitch! You don’t understand…”  
But Filtch had already walked away. I noticed Harry was looking at something on the ground but I was too far away to see what it was. He moved over to a window as Filtch returned with McGonagall. She looked horrified as she took in the scene.   
“Professor…I swear I didn’t.”  
“This is out of my hands, Potter. Come with me. Mr. Flitch, if you could tell the others in the hospital wing that there has been another victim…?”  
“Yes ma’am.”  
They all walked away and I scurried down the corridor to see what Harry was looking at. There were spiders, lots of them, running away.   
Hearing a noise I made my way out of there and back to the common room.  
“There you are,” Avalon said when I walked into the room. “Where did you disappear to?”  
“Extra credit work for Snape.”  
“You are so strange.”  
“Some people enjoy doing nothing or playing Quidditch, I like to learn.”  
She held up her hands. “Okay, see you at dinner.”  
I found Draco sitting on a couch. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting across from him. I sat down.  
“Hey,” he said.  
“We’re going out tonight,” I said quietly.  
“Alright.”

During dinner I noticed Harry wasn’t sitting at the Gryffindor table. I wonder where McGonagall took him? I listened to the chatter of those around me, trying to piece together what has been going on and what people were thinking. I ate and then stayed for dessert. A lot of people were scared because the monster had Petrified another. Many more people were getting excited for the Christmas holiday coming up in a few weeks. I had written home and asked what the plan was and surprisingly we were to stay here. 

“You’re staying for Christmas?” Draco asked quietly as we walked through the castle later that night.  
“Yes.”  
“So am I.”  
“Really?” I said with a smile. “Whatever shall we do?”  
“I was thinking solve the Chamber of Secrets mystery.”  
“Okay but just remember this, you got scared and ran out of the classroom when the dreaded pixies were released.”  
“Are you ever going to let that go?”  
“Sure, when you do something equally if not more ridiculous. Then I will let it go.”  
We made it to the same corridor I had been in earlier.  
“Justin was here and Harry was kneeling right here,” I said motioning to the floor. “The spiders were here and running this way, up the wall, and through the window.”  
“Are the spiders important?”  
“I think so. They are out of place so it seems like a detail that would be important.”  
“So what is our next move?”  
“I need more information from Harry and the others. They know more than I do. Or they have different pieces to this puzzle than I do.”  
“How are you going to get that?”  
“I guess I will have to spend time with them,” I sigh.  
“So, what should we do the rest of the night?”  
“Let’s walk around and see if we can find the monster.”  
“The one that is Petrifying people?” he asked.  
“And that right there is the reason you will be left out when I find it.”  
“I’m not afraid, I’m just clarifying.”  
I laughed. “Oh sure, talking tough is simple. It’s actually looking it in its metaphorical eye that’s the problem.”  
“I’ll show you,” he said walking ahead.  
“Hang on Draco, we have to be smart. You don’t want to end up Petrified do you?”

The next day I needed a quiet well-lit place to study. So naturally I walked into the Potions room and sat down in my usual spot.  
“Isabella, you can’t study in here.”  
“Why? I’m being quiet.”  
“You have a common room for a reason.”  
“It’s too dark in there. It makes me sleepy, plus all the girls are gushing about Lockhart. I cannot take it any longer.”  
He sighed. “Fine.”  
I smiled and got to work. Actually studying didn’t take long at all. Then I got to work on the current mystery. I wrote out all that I knew and my speculations. There were many pieces missing. I had to talk to one if not all three of them.   
I packed up my stuff. “Need any help before I go?”  
“No.”  
“Okay then, see you later.”

I found Draco holding court by a large tree.   
“Potter and the others are at the oaf’s house.”  
“Hagrid?”  
“Yeah that’s the one.”  
“You really don’t like names do you?”  
He snickered at me and I made a face. Then I headed over to Hagrid’s.  
I was too focused, too determined. On the way to Hagrid’s I realized that they weren’t going to tell me anything. How had I overlooked that? I let out a sigh and then headed back to the castle. Then I lay down in the grass and stared up at the sky.  
“Are you alright?” Neville asked peering over me.  
“Yes. This is how I de-stress. Try it,” I said patting the ground next to me.  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Why not?”   
“People will laugh at me.”  
“So what? Lay down anyway.”  
He considered that for a moment and then joined me on the ground.  
“I like to literally ground myself sometimes, almost a form of meditation, as I get lost in the clouds.”  
“What happens when it’s a cloudless day?”  
“Closing your eyes, with the sun beating down on your face is also very productive.”  
“What are you stressed about?”  
I sighed. “Everything. I need information and the ones I need it from don’t trust me.”  
“Like who?”  
“Harry, Ron, and Hermione.”  
“What do you want to know?”  
I kept my face expressionless but I was smiling on the inside. I picked his brain and he didn’t know much but what he was privy which ended up being very beneficial.  
“They can trust me. They just judge me based on the house I was sorted into. Like I picked it. Like I’m…bad.”  
“I don’t believe you’re bad Isabella. How could you be?”  
I smiled just a bit, I was playing this perfectly.  
“Thank you,” I said sitting up.  
“Glad I could help.”  
I stood up and pulled him up off the ground.  
“I’m feeling more like myself. I think I’ll go back inside now.”  
“Okay.”  
I walked back up the castle, Draco caught up to me.  
“What was that?”  
“I have my own special talents. Come on, you have to hear what he told me.”  
We scurried off to a hidden passage and I brought out all my notes.  
“Getting organized I see,” he said.  
“Everything was too cluttered in my head; I had to get it out. Okay so here are some missing pieces…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why can Isabella speak to snakes? Why not? That's my answer.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hogwarts at Christmas.

~9~

I helped Avalon and the others pack.  
“So, you’re staying here again?” asked Piper.  
“Looks like it.”  
“It must be so cool having so many siblings,” said Sylvia. “If I spent Christmas here I wouldn’t have any family here.”  
“It is pretty cool,” I said with a smile.  
“We should get going,” said Avalon.  
“Have fun,” said Piper as she hugged me.  
“You too,” I replied.  
I followed them out to the common room and stood in the back, trying to figure out who was leaving and who was staying behind.  
“It’s just the two of us, Crabbe and Goyle and a few sixth and seventh years that most likely won’t bother us,” Draco said sliding up next to me.  
“Really?” He nodded. “How has your work been going?”  
“Good,” he said. “Your study sessions have been great.”  
I smiled. “Want to fly around a bit?”  
“Yeah.”  
“I’ll meet you by the stands.”  
I went back to my room and put on my gloves and scarf as well as my robe. Then I went to Snape’s office. He wasn’t in there so I left a note letting him know I took the broom and would be back with it later. Then I went outside. I ran over to the Quidditch arena. The cold air whipping at my face, I breathed in deep. I loved the way cold fresh air felt in my lungs.  
“You know you could have flown over here,” said Draco as I ran up.  
“I like to run, its good exercise. Plus, it’s fun.”  
“Weirdo,” he said and then he jumped up on his broom. “Let’s go.”  
He took off and I zoomed after him. We flew all the way up to the highest peak of the castle.  
“Look! It’s starting to snow!”  
“You love snow too huh?”  
“Of course, it’s beautiful! It’s fun to play in; it’s fun to look at. It’s natural magic.”  
“It’s just frozen water.”  
I looked at him. “That’s it,” I said. “That is it!”  
“What’s it?”  
I zoomed off to the ground and he followed after me.  
“Come on,” I said.  
As we walked into the castle we ran into Fred and George.  
“Where did you get that?” Fred asked pointing to my broom.  
“It’s his,” I said.  
“You have two?” George asked.  
“Of course,” Draco said with a shrug.  
They glared at him.  
“You should spend some time with us Isabella,” said Fred.  
“Yeah of course. But later.”  
We walked away and back to the common room. “Okay we need supplies. Get a blanket and a pillow and you might as well grab some of your books so we can study. I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes.”  
I went to my room and left the broom there, it would be fine for now. Then I grabbed a few things and met Draco back in the common room.  
“What now?” he asked.  
“Follow me.”  
I went to the window I had last year during the Christmas holidays. I put the pillow against the wall and then sat down and covered up. Draco followed suit.  
“So what are we doing?”  
“We are going to watch the snow fall. It’s even more fun with a cup of hot cocoa, or the hot beverage of your choosing.”  
We watched the snow drifting down.  
“Why is this fun?”  
“Because it’s beautiful to watch and it makes you happy.”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
“It’s just frozen water Isabella.”  
“No, its not. Okay yes it is, but each individual snowflake is unique. They are so pretty and watching them float through the air is fun. Carpeting the ground and covering everything in white. The world becomes silent. But not the deafening silence of a world without noise, a beautiful silence.”  
“You lost me.”  
“I don’t like silence, it’s so loud. I need a constant noise to drown out the silence so I can think. But snow, is different. Tomorrow when it’s covered in snow, we can go outside and watch it glistening in the sunlight. We can play in the snow and we can sit there, together in the perfect silence of snow.”  
“Okay Isabella.”  
“Okay?”  
“I don’t get it, but I’ll try.”  
After a while I scooted down to get more comfortable and to watch the snow from a different angle, I almost couldn’t believe how comfortable I was because we were sitting on a stone window seat after all but I was perfectly happy in that moment.

“What should we do?”  
“They aren’t really breaking any rules.”  
I could hear people talking. Where was I?  
“They will be when they are out of bed once it is time to be in the dorms.”  
“It’s the holidays.”  
“The rules still apply.”  
“Then I guess we should wake them.”  
There was a sigh. “Just leave them there.”

“Isabella, wake up.”  
I opened my eyes and yawned. Draco was across from me. Outside it was bright and still snowing.  
“We fell asleep,” he said.  
“Apparently,” I said with a smile.  
“We should get going otherwise someone might come looking for us.”  
We stood up and gathered our things.  
“If we go through the passage on this floor we can reach the common room in half the time,” I said.  
“Okay, let’s go.”

All eyes were on us when we walked in for breakfast.  
“Is everyone starring at us?” he whispered.  
“Yep.”  
“Why?”  
“There are several reasons.”  
“Such as?”  
“I’m usually first to arrive for breakfast, my siblings and their friends don’t like you and don’t want us to be friends, and I’m sure the teachers are preparing for any shenanigans we might have up our sleeves.”  
“Not that you have thought this through or anything…”  
I threw my head back and laughed.  
We walked over to our table and sat across from Crabbe and Goyle.  
“Where have you two been?” Goyle asked.  
“We got lost,” I said.  
“But you never get lost,” said Crabbe.  
“First time for everything,” Draco replied as he easily played off my lie.

“I have to spend some time with my family,” I said as we walked out of the Great Hall.  
“Okay, I’ll work on the snow fort.”  
I smiled. “That’s the spirit. Get Crabbe and Goyle to help you.”  
I walked away and found my siblings as well as Harry and Hermione outside.  
“Why are you not wearing your sweater?” asked George.  
“Or did Mum not make you one this year?” asked Fred.  
“It’s in my room, I wasn’t very cold. I’ll put in on later.”  
They didn’t need to know that I hadn’t opened any presents yet. We played in the snow and had a snowball fight which turned into let’s just hit Percy.  
“You guys are ridiculous,” Percy said as he stalked off.  
“We’re going inside,” said Hermione and then she and Ginny walked away.  
“We have some things to do,” said Ron and then he and Harry left.  
“I’m going to go too,” I said.  
“Why don’t you stay with us today?” asked Fred.  
“I can’t. I have several extra credit assignments that I need to finish.”  
“We know that you are going to him,” said George.  
“You guys need to let it go,” I said throwing a snowball at them.  
The snow fort was easy to find. I laughed when I saw the sad attempt.  
“We worked on this for hours,” said Draco a little defensively.  
“I’m sure you did; let me show you how to fix it.”  
I reinforced the walls and built it up and then it was perfect.  
“It was a good start,” I said as the four of us lay in the snow. “It just needed a little help.”  
“This is boring,” said Crabbe.  
“Yeah, we’re going in,” said Goyle.  
“Okay, thanks for the help!” I called.  
“How did it go with your siblings?”  
“We had fun for a while.”  
“But?”  
“Fred and George wanted me to stay with them.”  
“Why?” I looked at him. “Me…” he said.  
“Don’t look at me like that.”  
He turned away and I made a snowball and then threw it at his head.  
“It’s on,” he said tossing one over at me.

We had a lovely lazy day, mostly outside in the snow. That evening we went to the Great Hall for dinner. My brothers stared at me when they walked in. I was already seated and eating.  
“Don’t say anything,” I said to Draco who was watching them as well. “They could come over here and eat with me. But they choose not to.”  
“Can they?”  
“Of course they can, I went over to their table last year.”  
“Do you want to leave?” he asked.  
“Nope, I want to eat and pretend they don’t exist. I really think Christmas dinner is the best food they have here.”  
“It definitely is superior to all the other meals. Not that they aren’t delicious as well.”  
“I agree, but this is the best!”

After dinner we went to the common room and I went to my room. I had three presents. A new sweater from Mum, a piece of petrified wood from Charlie and some candy, I left it all on my bed and then grabbed my sketch book and pencils. Stuffing them in my bag and then heading back to the common room.  
“Did you open your presents?” Draco asked.  
“Yes.”  
“Anything good?”  
“Nothing that would interest you.” He raised his eyebrows at me. “What about you?” I asked.  
“Oh, the same. Nothing you would find interesting.”  
He walked right up to me and produced something from behind his back. “This is for you.”  
I took the package and opened it up. Inside was an art set. I looked at him. “Draco…”  
“Do you like it?”  
“I love it. Thank you. But you didn’t have to.”  
“I know.”  
“I didn’t get you anything.”  
“Don’t worry about it.”  
I smiled and then hugged him. I could hear people talking and I let him go. We looked over and some of the older Slytherin’s were looking this way.  
“Where are Crabbe and Goyle?” asked Draco.  
“I have no idea,” I said putting the art set in my bag.  
“Let’s go look for them.”  
“Okay.”  
We looked all over the place, finally we walked around a corner and there they were with Percy.  
“Crabbe, Goyle, where have you two been? Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?” He asks as we walked up to them. “Why are you wearing glasses?”  
“Um, reading,” Goyle answers.  
“Reading? I didn’t know you could read.”  
“Hey Percy,” I say with a wave.  
“And what are you doing down here, Weasley?” Draco asked.  
“Going to the common room,” I answered.  
He gives me a look. “Not you. Him.”  
“Mind your attitude, Malfoy,” said Percy.  
The two stared each other down.  
“Alright, well we’ll be going,” I said walking away.  
The others caught up to me.  
“You knew I wasn’t talking to you,” Draco said.  
“Yeah, but it’s funny this way.”  
He elbowed me and I shoved him and then ran ahead. In the common room Draco and I sat on the same couch I arranged the pillows behind me and slid off my shoes, and then pulled my feet up onto the couch. I took out my sketch book, settling in, I opened the art set and caught Draco’s eye. He smiled. I loved that smile. I only ever saw it when he was looking at me.  
Crabbe and Goyle just stood there across from us.  
“Well sit down,” Draco said.  
They sat on the opposite couch. “You’d never know the Weasley’s were Purebloods, the way they behave. They’re an embarrassment to the Wizarding world. All of them.”  
I flicked my wand and Draco turned upside down.  
“Again Isabella?”  
“Did you hear what you just said?”  
He smiled. “Yeah.”  
“Well then, here we are huh?”  
“I didn’t mean you.”  
“You can deny it but I’m a Weasley and they are my family. That means something to me,” I said as I undid the spell and he flopped back onto the couch. “Besides, Percy and Ron are the only embarrassing ones.”  
Crabbe’s hands slowly balled up into fists. I could hear his knuckles cracking. Draco and I looked over at him.  
“What’s wrong with you, Crabbe?”  
Goyle nudged him.  
“Stomachache,” Crabbe said.  
“You know, I’m surprised the Daily Prophet hasn’t done a report on all these attacks. I suppose Dumbledore is trying to hush it all up,” Draco said.  
“Well shouldn’t he? Reporters are always twisting the truth to get more readers,” I said.  
He sighed. “Father always said Dumbledore was the worst thing to ever happen to this place.”  
Before I could say anything Goyle spoke first.  
“You’re wrong!” he shouted.  
Silence settled over us, he had never yelled at Draco before. Draco slowly stood up.  
“What? You think there’s someone here who’s worse than Dumbledore?”  
Crabbe shook his head and Goyle said nothing.  
“Well? Do you?”  
“Harry Potter?”  
Draco cracked a smile. “Good one, Goyle. You’re absolutely right. Saint Potter. And people actually think that he’s the Heir of Slytherin?”  
“But then you must have some idea who’s behind it all.”  
That was when it all clicked, Harry and the others wanting the ingredients to brew the Polyjuice potion, Crabbe and Goyle acting weird…it was all coming together. I turned the page in my sketch book and wrote something down quickly.  
“You know I don’t Goyle, I already told you.”  
He started to walk off when I pulled him down to sit next to me.  
“What?” he asked.  
“Look at this sketch I did of the castle,” I said showing him the page.  
'This is not Crabbe and Goyle. I will give you details later. Keep playing along but don’t tell them anything.’  
“Nice,” he said.  
Then in true Draco fashion he had to open his mouth anyway.  
“But my Father did say this; it’s been fifty years since the Chamber was opened. He wouldn’t tell me who opened it,” he said standing up and walking over to a desk. “Only that they were expelled. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So it’s only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time. As for me…I hope its Granger.”  
Crabbe stood up but Goyle stopped him. I placed my stuff aside and walked over and then punched Draco in the face. He cried out and fell on the floor.  
“Isabella what the hell!”  
“I really don’t know why we have to keep having this conversation.”  
While blood pooled in Draco’s hands I slipped over to the others.  
“Your hour is about up. Might want to get out of here before anyone else realizes who you are.”  
They looked at me horrified and then ran out.  
“I hardly touched you,” I said handing Draco some tissues.  
“Tell that to my bleeding nose.”  
“Let me see.”  
He sat up and lowered his hands.  
“Wow, it really is bleeding. Weird. You’ll be okay.”  
“You hit me.”  
“You deserved it.”  
“So I can’t have my own opinions?”  
“Sure, but this is your father’s opinion. Not yours. And I told you not to say anything. So why provoke them?”  
He sighed. “Is it broken?”  
“No.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then why is it bleeding like this?”  
“Want to go to the hospital wing? I’ll go with you.”  
“Alright.”  
I helped him off the floor. “They say you’re supposed to put your head back but that just causes the blood to go down your throat. So it’s up to you.”

Madam Pomfrey rushed to us when we walked in.  
“What happened?”  
“I fell,” Draco said before I could say anything.  
She gave him a cold compress and I sat at the end of the bed while he lay in a leaned back position.  
“Had I known it would bleed like this…I would have just punched your arm.” He laughed. “Thanks for lying,” I said.  
“I didn’t want you to get in trouble.”  
Madam Pomfrey left us there for a long time. So I took a pillow from another bed and put it at the foot of the bed Draco was in and then I leaned back down.  
“Getting sleepy?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Me too.”  
I tried staying awake…but the bed was really comfortable and with Draco’s legs up against me, he was so warm…  
I don’t know how long I had been asleep, but voices woke me. I didn’t move or open my eyes, I just listened.  
“They are just sleeping,” Snape said. “Just leave them there.”  
“Well alright,” Madam Pomfrey replied.

I opened my eyes and sunlight was streaming through large windows. Where was I? I looked over and there were feet. Oh yeah, I fell asleep next to Draco in the hospital wing. I sat up and he was still asleep. His nose looked fine. I stretched and yawned.  
“Good morning.”  
I turned and saw Hermione in the bed across the way.  
“What are you doing here?” I asked.  
“I turned myself into a cat.”  
“No way!”  
She nodded.  
Just then Harry and Ron walked in.  
“Isabella?” asked Ron. “What are you doing here?”  
“I fell asleep here accidently.”  
Then they see Draco.  
“What are you…?” Ron began.  
Draco woke up then.  
“Feeling better?” I asked.  
“Much. Did we sleep here?”  
“Seems that way.”  
He smiled at me and then noticed the others in the room.  
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go get some breakfast.”  
He stood up and glared at the others as he walked by.  
“Feel better Hermione.”  
“Isabella?” Hermione called and I turned back. “We know you didn’t say anything.”  
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” said Harry.  
I nodded; amazingly I didn’t know what to say.  
“Why are you hanging out with him?” Ron asked ruining the moment.  
I rolled my eyes. “Get over it.”

I sat next to Draco and across from the real Crabbe and Goyle.  
“My mother doesn’t let me eat cereal,” Draco said.  
I pushed my bowl over. “Live a little Draco.”  
He shared my cereal and I shared his bacon and eggs.  
“We woke up in a broom cupboard,” said Goyle.  
“Really? Why?” I asked.  
“I have no idea.”  
“Maybe you fell into a sugar coma.”  
“Those are real?” asked Crabbe.  
“Of course. It might happen again; you guys should cut back a bit on your sugar intake.” They made faces at me. “I’m just looking out for you guys.”  
“Feeling better Mr. Malfoy?” asked Snape walking over to us.  
“Yes.”  
Snape gave me a look but said nothing else and then he walked away.  
“I feel like I’m in trouble,” I said quietly.  
“Why would you be?”  
“I don’t know but did you see that look he gave me?”  
“I wouldn’t worry about it.”

I couldn’t shake the look, so I went to Snape’s office. I walked in and sat down.  
“What do you want?”  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”  
“Do you know how many times I have found you and Mr. Malfoy asleep together recently?”  
I thought for a moment. “No.”  
“This is a school. When you are here, we are responsible for you.”  
“Nothing happened,” I said slowly, confused.  
“Yes, that is what I keep telling the others. Don’t let it happen again.”  
My eyes stung as I got up and left the room. I didn’t like it when he was mad at me. 

Later that day the Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, and I were outside playing in the snow.  
Ginny came over. “Hey Ginny, want to join a snowball war?”  
“No…um…Isabella, can I talk to you?”  
“Yeah of course,” I said as we walked a little ways away. “What’s going on?”  
I noticed she was acting strange, fidgety. Not like herself.  
“I think…I think I may have…”  
“Yes?” I asked trying to urge her along.  
“Are we doing this or not?” Draco yelled.  
“You’re busy; I’ll just talk to you later.”  
“No Ginny, its fine. Tell me now.”  
“It’s nothing. Really. Have fun,” she said running off before I could stop her.

“Snape said what?” Draco asked as we walked around the grounds.  
“That it can’t happen again.”  
“What does he think is going on?”  
“I guess boys and girls just can’t sleep in the same place at the same time.”  
“That’s ridiculous,” he said.  
“I agree. However…”  
“However?”  
“It’s also ridiculous how comfortable I am when I’m lying next to you,” I admitted.  
“You feel that too? I thought it was just me,” he replied.  
I smiled and linked my arm with his.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New rules are enforced because of the monster going around Petrifying people, not that it will stop Isabella from sneaking out! Isabella and Draco continue to try and solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets.

~10~

“What are we going to do about the monster?” Draco asked the next day.  
“I think we need help.”  
“No.”  
“Yes. I will talk to them; you don’t have to.”  
He grumbled. “Find me after.”  
I nodded and then went to find the trio. Harry and Ron were walking towards me as I turned a corner.   
“Hey guys, where’s Hermione?” I asked noticing their glum faces.  
“She’s been Petrified,” Harry replied.  
“Oh no!” I said with a gasp.  
“She was found outside the library…” Ron said not meeting my gaze.  
“Do either of you have any clues as to where the Chamber is?” I asked outright. They both shook their heads. “Professor Sprout is working on something to unpetrified everyone. Hermione will be okay.”  
Harry gave me a small smile. “Yeah, thanks Isabella.”  
The two of them shuffled along. They weren’t going to be much help without Hermione…Draco and I would just have to do this ourselves.  
I put in a word with Seamus that I would be needing that folded up parchment from Fred and George again.

Later that day Snape walks into the Slytherin common room. Draco and I look up from one of the couches, as he unfurls a scroll and then looks up at all of us.  
“Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately. All students will return to the house common rooms by six o’clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions,” he said looking at us. “Unless the culprit is caught…it’s likely the school will be closed,” he said looking at me before turning and leaving the common room.  
Closed? They can’t close Hogwarts!   
“Hey Isabella,” Goyle said walking over. “A Gryffindor just gave this to me and asked me to give it to you.”  
He held out the parchment. I took it with a smile. “Thanks.”

That night when Draco and I are out of bed like usual, we see Ron and Harry go by.   
Draco points in an exaggerating way as he sees where they are supposed to be and yet no one is there. But the map doesn’t lie, they were here, just up ahead. We followed them, being as quiet as possible. We headed outside and then up to Hagrid’s hut.   
We waited out of sight as we saw Hagrid’s door open, he stood there with a crossbow, asking who was there. A moment later Harry and Ron were visible, and they were holding something. I smiled, my, how handy that must be! They went inside and the door was closed once again. Draco and I moved closer, and then we went around to the other side of the hut, and crouched beneath a window so we could listen in.  
“Hagrid, are you okay?” Harry asked.  
“I’m fine,” he replied. “I’m all right.”  
“Did you hear about Hermione?”   
“Oh yeah,” he said. “I heard about that, all right.”  
“Look, we have to ask you something,” Harry began and then paused. “Do you know who’s opened the Chamber of Secrets?”  
“What you have to understand about that is…”  
Just then there was a knock at the door, causing Fang to bark. I grabbed onto Draco, not wanting him to move or give away that we were there. He looked over at me, his eyes wide, but he remained where he was.  
“Quick, under the cloak. Don’t say a word. Be quiet, both of you,” he said quietly as he walked over to the door.   
“Professor Dumbledore, sir…”  
“Hagrid, I wonder…could we come in?” Dumbledore asked.  
Cornelius Fudge is with Dumbledore, he is there to take Hagrid away.   
“Take me? Take me where?” Hagrid asked. “Not Azkaban prison.”  
“I’m afraid we have no choice, Hagrid.”  
Hagrid’s door creaked open again. “Already here, Fudge? Good.”  
Draco’s eyes met mine again, that was his father talking.  
“What are you doing here? Get out of my house!” Hagrid said annoyed.  
“Believe me…I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your…you call this a house?”  
Lucius Malfoy was there to tell Dumbledore he was to resign. Hagrid was angry about it, saying if they take Dumbledore away there won’t be anyone to protect the muggle-borns, and there would be killings next. Dumbledore said he would take this resignation.  
“However,” Dumbledore said, his voice getting louder as he seemed to move closer to the window. “You will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.”  
Lucius and Dumbledore walked out.   
“If uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff… then all they’d have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yep. That would lead them right. That’s all I have to say,” Hagrid said as he and Fudge walked out. “And someone will need to feed Fang while I’m away.”  
The heavy door to Hagrid’s hut closed.  
“Come on,” Harry said. “Come on, Fang.”  
We heard them walk out a few minutes later and saw them run into the woods, following the trail of spiders.  
“Aren’t we going to follow them?” Draco asked.  
“No.”  
“Why not?”  
“One, I don’t want to follow spiders and two, I’m not allowed in the forest.”  
“When has that ever stopped you?”  
“Snape said so.”  
“Oh, so this is serious.”  
“I guess we could wait here for them.”  
“I don’t know…”  
“We have the map. We can get brooms if we need them and be back in our beds in no time.”  
“Okay, we’ll wait here.”  
Draco and I sat on the ground, I linked my arm with his as we listened to the bugs and frogs singing. I could feel him looking at me as I stared up at the stars.  
“What?” I asked.  
“Nothing,” he said but he continued to stare.  
“What animal am I thinking of right now?” I asked looking over at him.  
“Um…a…”  
“Don’t say something obvious, like a snake.”  
“Okay,”’ he said and then he fell silent. “A…”  
I looked at him and smiled.  
“A…give me a hint.”  
“I am,” I said as I continue to look at him.  
He looked at me sideways. “A…chicken.”  
I laughed. “You don’t remind me of a chicken, Draco.”  
“That’s good to know…so, what’s the answer.”  
“You have to guess.”  
“A dog?”  
“Nope.”  
“A lion?”  
“Nope.”  
“A frog?”  
“No.”  
“A…Cornish Pixie…”  
I laughed again. “Keep trying.”

Ten minutes later he was still guessing. He sighed in frustration. “Just tell me the answer.”  
“Nope.”  
“An animal I remind you of?” he asked again like it was going to give him the answer.  
“Yes.”  
“I literally have no idea.”  
“No idea, Draco? Really?”  
“Clearly, seeing as I have yet to pick the right one.”  
Suddenly headlights filled the sky as our flying car took to the skies. I stood and pulled Draco up with me so we could get out of sight before it landed.  
“Follow the spiders. Follow the spiders,” Ron was saying when he and Harry got out of the car. “If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I’ll kill him.”  
The car started up and then, slammed its doors shut, and then took off back into the Forbidden Forest.  
“I mean,” Ron began. “What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?”  
“We know one thing,” Harry replied. “Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent.”  
I grabbed Draco and we began walking back to the castle.   
Sneaking in wasn’t nearly as difficult as sneaking out, both were much easier with the map, making it all much less fun. We made it back to our common room in no time.  
“We’ll follow them again tomorrow,” I said. “They are bound to lead us somewhere.”  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
“Goodnight Draco.”  
“You’re really not going to tell me the answer?”  
“To what?”  
“What animal I remind you of.”  
I smiled as I looked back at him. “You can come to the conclusion, Draco. I believe in you. Goodnight…”

The next day we followed them everywhere and we were getting nowhere. I was just about to call it quits when an announcement went out.  
“All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately,” McGonagall’s voice rang out.  
“Let’s go,” I said as I put the map away.  
We raced to the second floor silently and stayed out of sight.  
“As you can see the Heir of Slytherin has left another message,” McGonagall said as the teachers crowded around to see. “Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I’m afraid this is the end of Hogwarts.”  
No! Not the end of Hogwarts!  
“So sorry,” Lockhart said walking over. “Dozed off. What have I missed?”  
“A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last,” Snape replied.  
“My m-moment?” he asked, his eyes huge at the suggestion.  
“Weren’t you saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?” Snape asked.  
“That’s settled,” McGonagall said. “We’ll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend.”  
“Very well,” Lockhart replied with a smile. “I’ll just be in my office getting…getting ready.” He turned and walked away.  
“Who is it the monster’s taken, Minerva?” Madam Pompfrey asked.  
“Ginny Weasley.”  
My heart dropped as the teachers made their way out of the corridor. I saw the blood on the wall, my eyes reading over the words.   
‘Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever’  
“Isabella,” Draco said pulling me back.  
“You go get Snape,” I said as I made the decision.  
“No, I’m going with you.”  
“You can’t.”  
“Why not?” he asked.  
“I don’t know what’s down there except Ginny. My priority has to be on her. I can’t get distracted by keeping you safe.”  
“You don’t have to keep me safe.”  
“Draco please,” I begged looking into his stormy gray eyes.   
He looked at me for a moment and then he sighed. “Be careful.”  
I smiled. “Thank you Draco. Send him to the girl’s bathroom on the second floor.”  
It was all connected, I thought as I ran. The Chamber had been opened before; a girl died the last time it was opened. No one knew where the entrance was…there is a monster getting around somehow without anyone seeing it. Maybe it was just a hunch…but I couldn’t waste anymore time, not when Ginny’s life was in danger.   
Moaning Myrtle was floating around, crying the way she does when I walked in. She saw me and then came a little closer.  
“A Slytherin! Get out!”  
“I won’t hurt you Myrtle, I’m just searching for something.”  
“What?” she asked getting a little closer as I looked around in the bathroom.  
As I searched, I noticed there was a small snake carved into the faucet on one particular sink. That was interesting. I searched around the sink looking for a way to make it move.   
Nothing was working. I sighed in frustration. Maybe the snake was more than a clue, that this was the entrance…maybe…  
I slowed down and then spoke in Parseltongue, a moment later the top part of the sink moved up and all the individual sinks drifted apart revealing what looked like a straight drop. I looked over at Myrtle.  
“When Draco and Snape arrive, let them know I went through already.”  
“Okay,” she replied.  
I looked back at the drop, thought of my sister, and jumped.   
It was like a huge slide, curling and drifting down and down. It was a lot of fun, but I had a mission and had to focus. At the end I landed on the ground, which was covered in bones, they were everywhere. This must have been a feeding ground for a really long time.   
There were many tunnels down here and the map was useless, so I basically began exploring. One tunnel brought me to a large snakeskin that was just lying on the ground. It covered nearly the entire room.   
I went on ahead, thinking of Ginny and not wanting to wait.   
Suddenly there was a loud crash and then the rock walls began to shake. My heart stopped as I dove into a tunnel, thinking it would save me from being crushed. But the walls remained intact and a few minutes later I emerged once again.   
“Isabella, what are you doing down here?” Harry asked, his face dusty from a collapse that happened where he had been.  
“Trying to save my sister.”  
“How did you get down here?”  
“We can discuss the details later,” I said and then I turned to a circular door that had seven snakes across the front of it, and then I opened it.  
“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Harry said.  
“Do I?” I asked.  
Through a short tunnel, down a short ladder, the room opened up. It was large with open-mouthed rock snakes on either side of the room and a long stone path leading up to what appeared to be Salazar Slytherin’s face carved in stone. The pathway was wet, leading to deeper water around the face carving.   
We found Ginny; she was cold to the touch. I was shaking her, on the verge of tears.  
“She won’t wake.”  
We turned to see a boy walking closer, he wore a Slytherin uniform, but I didn’t recognize him.  
“Tom. Tom Riddle,” Harry said. “What do you mean she won’t wake?”  
“Who?” I asked.  
Harry brought me up to speed on who Tom Riddle was and then turned his attention back to him. “She’s not…?”  
“She’s still alive, but only just.”  
“Are you a ghost?” Harry asked as Tom walked closer to us.  
“A memory,” he replied. “Preserved in a diary for fifty years.”  
Ginny was clutching a diary, I noticed.  
“She’s cold as ice,” Harry said touching Ginny’s hand. “Ginny, please don’t be dead. Wake up. You’ve got to help me, Tom. There’s a basilisk.”  
“It won’t come until it’s called,” Tom said as he took Harry’s wand from where he had foolishly left it on the ground.  
“Give me my wand, Tom,” Harry said standing up.  
“You won’t be needing it,” Tom replied.  
“Listen, we’ve got to go. We’ve got to save her.”  
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Harry. You see, as poor Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger. Yes, Harry, it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets.”  
What? I thought as I looked at my sister’s face.   
“No, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t,” Harry said.  
“It was Ginny who set the basilisk on the Mudbloods and Filch’s cat. Ginny who wrote the threatening messages on the walls.”  
“Why?” Harry asked.  
“Because I told her to. You’ll find I can be very persuasive. Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still the power of the diary began to scare her. She tried to dispose of it in the girls’ bathroom. And then, who should find it, but you? The very person I was most anxious to meet.”  
“And why did you want to meet me?” Harry asked looking Tom in the face.  
“I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So, I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid…to gain you trust.”  
“Hagrid’s my friend!” Harry yelled. “And you framed him, didn’t you?”  
“It was my word against Hagrid’s. Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent.”  
“I’ll bet Dumbledore saw right through you.”  
“He certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on my after that. I knew it wouldn’t be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school…so I decided to leave behind a diary. Preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day I would be able to lead another to finish Salazar Slytherin’s noble work.”  
“Well you haven’t finished it this time. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready. And everyone who was Petrified will be all right again.”  
“Haven’t I told you? Killing Mudbloods doesn’t matter to me anymore. For many months now, my new target has been you. How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort’s powers were destroyed?”  
“Why do you care how I escaped? Voldemort was after your time.”  
“Voldemort is my past, present, and future,” he said and then he turned, using Harry’s wand to write out his name in the air for us to see. ‘Tom Marvolo Riddle’, it said and then he shuffled the letters to spell out ‘I am Lord Voldemort.”  
“So, that’s why your name is so dumb. You had bad letters to choose from.”  
“Come again?” Tom asked.  
“I suppose though if you’re so unimaginative to make your name an anagram…you get stuck with dumb names like Voldemort.”  
“How dare you!” Tom said getting angry.   
“You’re the Heir of Slytherin,” Harry said dumbfounded. “You’re Voldemort,” he whispered.  
Duh Harry, way to keep up, I thought. I looked back to the entrance, where was Snape? Why wasn’t he here yet? Was this what life at Hogwarts would always be like for me? Waiting to be rescued?  
“Surly you didn’t think I was going to keep my filthy Muggle father’s name? No. I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world.”  
“Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world,” Harry replied.  
“Dumbledore’s been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me.”  
“He’ll never be gone. Not as long as those who remain are loyal to him.”  
Suddenly a screech filled the Chamber. Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes flies in, he tosses something to Harry and then keeps going. Harry catches it and opens it up. The Sorting Hat? That’s a strange item to send.  
“So that’s what Dumbledore sends his great defender. A songbird and an old hat.”  
Tom moved to the large carving of Salazar, his hand out in front of him, as he speaks Parseltongue for a moment and then he turns back to Harry.  
“Let’s match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin against the famous Harry Potter,” he said as Salazar’s mouth began to slowly open behind him. The basilisk slithered out…it was huge!  
It looked to Tom waiting for instructions. I stood up; my wand raised.  
“Expelliarmus!” I yelled towards Tom. Harry’s wand flung from his hand and then over to me, I caught it and he looked over at me as I spoke to the basilisk.  
“No!” Tom yelled. “Who are you?”  
“Your worst nightmare,” I said with a satisfied smile, as I turned to the basilisk, giving it instructions to take out Tom.   
He tried, but Tom was only a memory.   
“That won’t work.” Tom spat.  
“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” I replied thinking fast.  
There has to be something…what was I missing? I looked around the room…the diary! That’s it! I nudged Harry and looked at the diary, my eyes wide. He looked over and saw a sword peeking out from the Sorting Hat. He pulled the sword out, grabbed the diary, opened it up…  
“What are you doing?” Tom asked sounding scared.  
Harry looked up at him and then stabbed the pages. Light began pouring through Tom’s body, it looked at if his chest were ripping open. He cried out, in pain, in anger as he moved closer to Harry. I called the basilisk to protect us, he slithered over and enveloped us, keeping us separate from Tom. Harry shut the diary and stabbed it again. Tom bursts, little embers are left in the wake and a moment later they die out too.  
Just then Ginny opens her eyes. She sits up slowly, looking around. Her eyes find me and then they tear up.  
“Isabella…it was me. But I swear, I didn’t mean to. Riddle made me…”  
“I know,” I said moving closer to hug her. “It’s alright now.”  
“We need to get out of here,” Harry said. “We also need to get Ron and Lockhart. They’re down here somewhere.”  
Fawkes takes the others back to the surface while I ride the basilisk up, no one wanted to ride with me.  
It was barely dark out when we emerged, sunrise was coming fast. I hopped off his back and then his face got closer to my face. I gently touched his face and then I spoke to him in Parseltongue.   
“I’m setting you free, but no more killing human shaped people, okay? Go on, before someone finds you…”  
The basilisk hissed its reply. “Thanks…”  
It slithered off into the Black Lake. I smiled as I watched it go, he wasn’t a bad snake, not really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while for this chapter, but here it is! The next is currently in the works! Sorry for the delay. ^_^
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another year comes to a close. The exams are cancelled, much to Isabella's dismay, Isabella begins to see Snape in a different light, and saying goodbye to certain friends seems to be getting harder and harder.

~11~

Ron, Harry, and I stand in Dumbledore’s office.   
“You realize, of course, in the past few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules.”  
“Yes sir,” the three of us say in unison.   
“There is sufficient evidence to have all three of you expelled.”  
“Yes sir,” we said again.  
“Therefore, it is only fitting that the three of you receive Special Awards for Services to the school.”  
What? Did I hear him correctly?  
“Thank you, sir,” Harry and Ron said with smiles on their faces.  
“Now, Mr. Weasley, if you would have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. I believe we want out gamekeeper back,” Dumbledore said as he stood from behind his desk and walked around, handing some papers to Ron who nodded and then left the room. “Harry,” Dumbledore said turning around to face us again. “First, I want to thank you, Harry. You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you. And second,” he said walking closer to Harry. “I sense that something is troubling you. Am I right Harry?”  
“Its just…you see, sir, I couldn’t help but notice certain things, certain…certain similarities between Tom Riddle and me.”  
“I see,” Dumbledore replied. “Well, you can speak Parseltongue, Harry. Why? Because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. If I’m not mistaken, Harry, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar.”  
“Voldemort transferred some of his powers to me?” Harry asked letting that sink in and Dumbledore nodded confirming it again.  
“Not intentionally,” Dumbledore said as he went back behind his desk and sat down. “But yes.”  
“So, the Sorting Hat was right. I should be in Slytherin.”  
“It’s true. You possess many of the qualities that Voldemort himself prizes. Determination, resourcefulness, and if I may say so, a certain disregard for the rules. Why then, did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?”  
Harry looked at the hat as it sat on the corner of the desk. “Because I asked it to.”  
“Exactly, Harry. Exactly. Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”   
“So then that means…I’m bad,” I said.  
“No Isabella,” Dumbledore said looking at me. “It means you were placed in Slytherin and you have many similarities as well, but your choices still determine who you are. You have friends and family, people you protect. That is not what someone evil would do. Someone evil would only look out for themselves.” He turned back to Harry. “If you want proof why you belong in Gryffindor then I suggest you look more closely at this,” he said as he held up the sword Harry had pulled from the hat.  
Harry took the sword and on the blade was an engraved name. “Godric Gryffindor,” he said quietly.   
“It would take a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the hat.”  
Harry took a deep breath; he and Dumbledore shared a look and then Dumbledore turned his attention to me.  
“Isabella Weasley…do you know what became of the basilisk?”  
“Um…” I stalled and then the door to Dumbledore’s office opened.   
We turned to see Lucius Malfoy walk in with Dobby close behind him.   
“Dobby,” Harry said. “So, this is your master. The family you serve is the Malfoy’s.”  
Dobby looked unnerved as he looked up at Lucius.   
“I’ll deal with you later,” he said looking down at Dobby. Then he walked over to Dumbledore’s desk, moving Harry out of the way with his cane. “Out of my way, Potter. So, it’s true. You have returned.”  
“When the governors learned that Arthur Weasley’s daughter was taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back.”  
Lucius looked over at me. “Ridiculous.”  
“Curiously, Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their family if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place.”  
“How dare you!”  
“Beg your pardon?” Dumbledore asked leaning forward like he didn’t hear what he had said.  
“My sole concern has always been and will always be the welfare of this school,” he said walking closer to the desk. “And of course, its students,” he finished looking over at Harry. “The culprit has been identified; I presume?”  
“Yes,” Dumbledore replied.  
“And? Who was it?”  
Dumbledore glanced at Harry and then me before answering. “Voldemort.”  
“Ah…”  
“Only this time he chose to act through somebody else, by means of this,” he said holding up the remains of the diary.  
“I see,” Lucius replied a bit flustered.  
“Fortunately, our young Mr. Potter discovered it. One hopes that no more of Lord Voldemort’s old school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be…severe.”  
They stared at each other for a moment. “Well, let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day,” he said looking over at Harry again.  
“Don’t worry,” Harry replied. “I will be.”  
“Dumbledore,” Lucius said by way of announcing his leave. He flicked his black cloak to the side. “Come, Dobby. We’re leaving.” He turned to go, and Dobby walked timidly in front of him. Lucius kicked Dobby and sent him sprawling on the ground.   
I gasped as Dobby stood up and Lucius hit him in the back of the head with his cane and then they left the room.  
Harry asked if he could have the diary and then scurried out of the room.   
“Was there something else, Isabella?” Dumbledore asked apparently forgetting my unanswered question.   
“No, sir, nothing.”  
He smiled at me. “Best run along and get yourself cleaned up then.”

I left his office and made my way to towards the Slytherin common room, taking familiar shortcuts along the way.  
I ran into Draco as I took the last turn before entering the common room.   
“There you are!” he said.  
“In the flesh.”  
“What happened?”  
“I could ask you the same thing.”  
“What do you mean? I told Snape, he said he would take care of it.”  
“Did he? Well, he never showed up.”  
Draco’s expression changed and then he pulled me to him. “He left you down there.”  
“I’m alive…” I said hugging him back.  
“Tell me everything.”  
“I will, but first, I need to shower and then I need to talk to Snape.”  
“Shower, tell me, and then find Snape.”  
“Okay,” I agreed.

********************

Draco and I sat next to each other on a couch away from other students.   
“The entrance was in the second-floor girls’ bathroom,” I began. “From there I jumped not knowing what to expect…”  
I went through my story, sometimes his eyes would widen, other times I was met with a signature Draco smile.  
“Wait, you were in control of the basilisk?”  
“Indeed.”  
“I thought only the Heir of Slytherin could do that…”  
“Well, I am a Slytherin, who can speak to snakes…I suppose I qualify to be an heir,” I said with a shrug.  
“Where is the basilisk now?”  
I grinned. “I released him into the Black Lake.”  
“You did not,” he said, his eyes wide as they met mine.  
I nodded and we both laughed.   
I told him the rest of the story and then the part at the end when his father showed up in Dumbledore’s office.  
“He was here?”   
I nodded as he looked away.  
“He never comes to see me…”  
“He’s an ass,” I said, and he looked back at me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’m going to find Snape, but afterwards, you wanna have lunch with me? I’m starving.”  
“Definitely.”  
He followed me to Snape’s office but waited outside while I went in. Snape looked up from his desk, relief flooding his eyes.  
“Glad to see you’re okay.”  
“Are you?” I asked.  
“How can you say that?” he asked.  
“Draco said he told you I needed your help and again…you didn’t show up.”  
“Isabella…I…”  
I swallowed back the sadness threating to overtake me as I walked closer and placed my hands on his desk. I leaned closer to him. “You’re my favorite teacher, Snape. I look up to you, you’re teaching me stuff years beyond what the others allow me to know…but every time I need you, you’re not there.”  
“Isabella, you don’t understand.”  
“That’s right, I don’t, and you won’t tell me.”  
“You don’t need to know.”  
I sighed, my heart aching… “I’m afraid I can’t participate in the summer program this year.”  
“Isabella…”  
“My family wants to travel over the summer,” I turned to go.   
“I can still teach you things. I can still teach you to defend yourself,” he said.  
“And I still want to learn,” I said looking back as I rested my hand on the door handle. “But…I can’t count on you, Snape…and I need to stop relying on you. I can’t be in these dangerous situations waiting to be rescued. I need to do it on my own.”  
“You did do it on your own. You survived, it’s over.”  
“Yep. It is over,” I replied shaking my head. “And so is this friendship.”  
I opened the door and walked out, closing it behind me. I took Draco’s arm in mine and we walked to the great hall.  
“Do you…wanna talk about it?”  
I shook my head, tears threatening to escape.  
“You wanna find a broom cupboard for a minute?”  
I nodded and he led me over to one. We walked in and I collapsed into his arms, tears staining my face.  
Draco stroked my hair as I cried, when I was finished and had wiped my face, he looked me right in the eyes.  
“He’s an ass, lets go get some food.”  
I laughed and then opened the door. “Have you figured out which animal yet?”  
“Ugh! Isabella!” he said frustrated. “No.”  
I leaned close to him to whisper in his ear. “Draco, you’re a dragon…” 

**********************

That evening we all sit in the great hall for dinner, I glance up and see Hermione running over to the others, she hugs Harry with a huge smile on her face and then she goes to hug Ron but stops and instead they shake hands.  
McGonagall taps her fork on her glass. “Can I have your attention, please?”  
Everyone quiets down and Dumbledore stands up. “Before we begin the feast, let us have around of applause for Professor Sprout, Madam Pompfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been Petrified.” People erupt into applause. “Also, in light of recent events, as a school treat all exams have been cancelled.”  
People cheered as they applauded.  
“This is an outrage!” I said standing shaking my fist in the air. Draco pulls me down.  
The large doors to the room open and Hagrid walks in.  
“Sorry I’m late,” he said in his deep but booming voice. “The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused,” he said as he walked between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table. “Some ruddy bird called Errol.”  
We really needed to retire that owl, I thought. Hagrid stopped in front of the trio.  
“I’d just like to say that if it hadn’t been for you, Harry, and Ron and Hermione of course, I would still be you-know-where…so I’d just like to say, thanks.”  
Harry stood up. “There’s no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid.” Harry hugged him and then Dumbledore stood and began clapping, after a moment nearly everyone in the room joined in.   
“They didn’t even include you,” said Draco.  
“They never do,” I said filling up my plate as the others were celebrating Hagrid’s return.

Draco and I spent the last couple of weeks completely glued to the other. Summer was coming and we wouldn’t see each other for months.   
“You can still write me even if you’re traveling,” Draco said as we sat on our preferred couch in the common room.  
“Yeah, I’ll definitely try.”  
“Are you really not doing the summer program now?” I nodded. “You should still go, even though you’re mad at Snape.”  
“I don’t want to talk this anymore Draco.”  
“The summer program gives you an edge. We need that to win the House Cup.”  
“It’s not happening, Draco. I can get by without the summer program.”  
“As your friend, I think it’s a mistake and that’s all I’m going to say.”  
“I’m going to miss you…”   
“Me too. But summer isn’t that long. We’ll be back here in no time and then we’ll be third years,” he said wiggling his eyebrows at me.

********************

We all sit in the Great Hall at the end of the year feast. The green banners of Slytherin filling the room, as we once again dominated House Points.   
The other houses were sour, you could see it on their faces. I kept feeling Snape looking at me, I glanced over a few times, catching his eyes once, but immediately looking away.  
I listened to the chatter around me. People were talking about what they planned on doing over the summer.   
“He’s staring at you again,” Draco said quietly for only me to hear.  
“Stop looking at him,” I replied.  
“Has he tried talking to you since…?”  
“No. Well…”  
“Well?” he pressed.  
“Maybe.”  
“Maybe you should hear him out before we leave? Just so, it doesn’t bother you all summer.”  
“How do you know it’s bothering me now?”   
“Really Isabella?” he asked with one eyebrow raised. “This is me we’re talking about.”  
“I don’t want to forgive him. I don’t want to do the summer program…”  
“I’m not telling you what to do, but I think you should talk to him before we leave.”  
I sighed and continued to eat, glancing over again…

I hugged my roommates, wishing them well. Then I grabbed my backpack and my broom, and then left the room. Draco was waiting for me by the door with a knowing look.  
“Shut up,” I said as I walked by him.  
We walked to Snape’s office. “I’ll wait for you by the entrance,” he said and then he walked on.  
I took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.  
“Enter.”  
I walked in, Snape looked up, his eyes focusing on me and then he stood. “Isabella.”  
“I…was hoping I could keep this here, over the summer,” I said holding up the broom.  
He motioned for me to set it down and so I did.  
“I’m sorry Isabella…” he said quietly, urgently. “And I can’t tell you why I wasn’t there. And…you shouldn’t rely on me because I won’t be there in future. I can teach you everything you need to be a great witch. I can make sure you are prepared for anything that comes your way. But I can’t…rescue you.”  
“I don’t need rescuing,” I replied. “I refuse to be that person. I’m a Slytherin, we are resourceful. It might be a good idea to let someone know…I released the basilisk into the Black Lake.” Snape’s eyes grew wide. “I told him not to eat any people. He seemed like he wouldn’t.” Silence fell between us. “I better get going, don’t wanna miss my train.”  
“Isabella…are we…okay?”  
“As okay as a teacher and student with no other personal ties or possible friendships can be, I suppose. See you next year, Professor.”  
I didn’t give him a chance to respond, it hurt too much knowing this…whatever is had been, was over. I met Draco at the entrance, and we went together to the train.  
We sat together in a car, we were alone till Crabbe and Goyle walked in and sat down.   
When they fell asleep Draco looked at me. “Well?”  
“I don’t know if things with Snape will ever be the same.”  
“Oh,” he replied, his hopeful expression falling.  
“But who knows…we have five more years; I suppose anything could happen.”  
He nodded. “There is something I still don’t understand.”  
“What?” I asked unpacking my sketchbook and pencils.   
“If the Heir of Slytherin was the only one who could control the basilisk…how were you able to do it?”  
“I guess…I could have been an heir.”  
“A Weasley,” he snorted and then he blocked my blow.  
I flicked through the pages of the sketchbook, finding the page I wanted. I tore it out and handed it to him.  
“This is for you.”  
He looked over the page. It was the two of us sitting side by side, our backs to the canvas, the Whomping Willow off in the distance and an outline of the castle in the upper right corner.   
“I love it,” he said looking over at me.  
I smiled at him, catching those gray eyes…

******************

When the train stopped Draco and I didn’t go as fast as the others, wanting a moment to say our goodbyes without anyone else there. I made sure I had all my stuff, and then turned back to Draco.  
“So, I’ll see you in a few months,” he said.  
“Yeah…see you,” I said as he turned to go but I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back, my arms snaking around him.  
He laughed but held on, I had my eyes closed as I breathed him in. I smiled, the scents of cedar and spearmint filling my nose.   
“Write me if you can,” he said.  
“Definitely. Try not too get into too much trouble without me,” I said letting him go.  
He lightly brushed my bangs like he had that day as we had searched for the Expelliarmus spell book.   
Other students’ voices drifting down the train caused us to spring apart. We left the car and then walked off the train. I spotted my family instantly, I looked over and saw Draco had spotted his parents.   
His fingertips brushed mine. “See you in a few months.”  
“Bye,” I said as he turned and walked away.  
I ran to dad, hugging him tight and then Mum. Their smiles were so big as more of us kept walking up to them until we were all there. We grabbed our trunks and then we were heading out to our cars.  
My heart felt a bit heavy as we made our way home. It was weird how being away from school made me miss home and when I was home…my heart was at school. 

That night, all of us sat around the table. Mum and Dad told us about the traveling we would be doing over the summer and how Charlie and Bill were going to be joining us! I hadn’t seen Charlie in so long and I had so much to tell him!   
We would be leaving in three days, so I packed in advance and then had nothing to worry about in the meantime. On the way out the door three days later, the post arrived. Mum said to just leave it till we got back and that had been my plan, but a letter caught my eye as it was addressed to me.  
I snatched it up from the others and then left the house, locking it up as I went. 

I read and reread the letter several times and then I tucked it in my sketchbook inside my backpack for safekeeping. I found myself smiling whenever I thought about it.  
‘Dear Isabella, I know it’s only been a few days since we left school, but I miss you, and I wanted you to know. – Draco’

I loved spending time with my family, especially the brothers I didn’t always get to see. We had a blast over the summer, but, when things would quiet down, I would think of Draco and how much I missed him and how it seemed in such a short amount of time we had become inseparable. There wasn’t time to write him much while we were traveling but we would be home soon, and school begins three weeks after that. In no time I would be back at school, doing what I loved, surrounded by dear friends that I cared for so much. And I couldn’t wait!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That bit at the end with Snape, it wasn't intentional. But I think it's good for both of them to have some time away from each other. Sorry if the last chapter felt a bit rushed. I typically write novels, so a short story if so foreign to me. But I attempted to wrap it up nicely and get it posted for you. ^_^  
> I'm excited to begin Year 3 and should have the first chapter ready for you all in a few days!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
